We at OnTheIssues.org ask all candidates for answers to our 20 questions in our VoteMatch quiz. The following presidential candidates have responded in detail. Responding to press inquiries like ours shows a level of openness that augurs well for the candidate in office, regardless of party affiliation.
Almost always, the incumbents and the leaders in the polls ignore our requests, indicating that they don't want their constituents to know their issue stances. We track their public statements accordingly, and infer their VoteMatch responses based on those. We also collect up debate and book excerpts, and include those in our VoteMatch quiz results as well.
Below are the responses from presidential candidates who directly responded to our VoteMatch quiz.
| OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details)
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Abortion
Andre Barnett: Opposes abortion as a woman's right.
Robert Steele: Let states decide birth control and abortion laws.
Robert Steele: Supports abortion as a woman's right.
JL Mealer: Abortion violates constitutional rights for our posterity.
Scott Keller: Woman's choice over her body, but not partial birth abortion.
Scott Keller: Focus on alternatives: birth control & adoption.
Scott Keller: Pro-life, but it's the woman's right to choose.
Brian Moore: Right to free abortion on demand at any stage of pregnancy.
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Budget & Economy
Robert Steele: Moratorium on all foreclosures and evictions.
JL Mealer: Replace usurious Fed currency with precious metals.
Scott Keller: Return to sovereign money.
Scott Keller: Federal Reserve is a foreign owned, private bank.
Brian Moore: Socialize all financial & insurance institutions.
Harry Browne: Budget surplus is over-taxation, so return it all.
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Civil Rights
Andre Barnett: Opposes requiring companies to hire more women & minorities.
Andre Barnett: Opposes same-sex domestic partnership benefits.
Robert Steele: Full transparency for Department of "Justice".
Robert Steele: Supports requiring companies to hire more women & minorities.
Robert Steele: Supports same-sex domestic partnership benefits.
JL Mealer: Require companies to hire Americans; not to hire minorities.
JL Mealer: Don't treat gay-Americans as hyphenated-Americans.
Scott Keller: I fully support same-sex domestic partnerships.
Scott Keller: Marriage is a state and local issue.
Scott Keller: Empower women & minorities but no affirmative action.
Brian Moore: Ban military tribunals, and restore habeas corpus.
Brian Moore: Promote a multicultural/multiethnic presence.
Brian Moore: Blacks & women have been historically discriminated against.
Harry Browne: President should stay out of questions of gay marriage.
Harry Browne: Flag burning is protected political speech.
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Corporations
Robert Steele: End blind support for predatory banks and corporations.
Robert Steele: Hold corporations responsible for supporting American labor.
Robert Steele: Wealthiest 1% responsible for 22% unemployment.
Scott Keller: No corporate campaign donations of any kind.
Brian Moore: Eliminate corporate welfare, then eliminate corporations.
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Crime
Andre Barnett: Supports the death penalty.
Andre Barnett: Opposes mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws.
Robert Steele: Prison complex is a slave industry.
Robert Steele: Strongly opposes the death penalty.
Robert Steele: Opposes mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws.
JL Mealer: Support death penalty only for absolutely proven crimes.
JL Mealer: No mandatory sentencing.
Scott Keller: Address the root causes of crime, rather than Three Strikes.
Scott Keller: Killing is no "payment" for a crime, not even a murder.
Brian Moore: Abolish the death penalty.
Brian Moore: Base justice system on mediation and rehabilitation.
Harry Browne: Mandatory sentencing takes jail space from real criminals.
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Drugs
Andre Barnett: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it.
Robert Steele: Get CIA and DEA out of the covert drug business.
Robert Steele: Drug use is not a moral issue; legalize marijuana.
JL Mealer: Asylum for insider aliens turning in drug smugglers.
JL Mealer: Drug use is a hazard to other people.
Scott Keller: Drug use isn't immoral, though it's unintelligent.
Brian Moore: Decriminalize drug use; de-fund war on drugs.
Harry Browne: Drug War makes streets a war zone.
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Education
Andre Barnett: Supports teacher-led prayer in public schools.
Andre Barnett: Opposes school vouchers.
Robert Steele: Teachers should be well paid and paid for performance.
Robert Steele: Supports teacher-led prayer in public schools.
Robert Steele: Opposes school vouchers.
JL Mealer: School prayer is ok, but not if at all mandatory.
JL Mealer: Supports choosing schools via vouchers.
Scott Keller: We need comprehensive education reform, not NCLB.
Scott Keller: Unfair to turn our schools into pulpit for any religion.
Scott Keller: No privatization of education.
Brian Moore: Too much emphasis on high tech in classrooms.
Brian Moore: Fully fund libraries & museums to preserve culture.
Brian Moore: Full and equal funding of public education.
Harry Browne: Separation of school & state: No Ten Commandments.
Harry Browne: Federal involvement in schools doesn’t work.
Harry Browne: Give parents “total” control over school selection.
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Energy & Oil
Andre Barnett: Alternatives as well as coal & oil.
Robert Steele: We have plenty of energy in the USA, but it's corrupt.
Robert Steele: Strongly supports replacing coal & oil with alternatives.
JL Mealer: Drill here; drill now; end dependency.
JL Mealer: Replace most coal & oil; design non-EV autos.
Scott Keller: Replace coal & oil with alternatives.
Brian Moore: Develop solar, geothermal, wind, hydropower and biomass.
Brian Moore: Phase out nuclear power; rejoin Kyoto Protocol.
Harry Browne: Global Warming inconclusive; too much political agenda.
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Environment
Robert Steele: Poverty causes more environmental damage than corporations.
Robert Steele: Green community design plus high-speed rail.
Brian Moore: Require companies to clean up their own toxic waste.
Harry Browne: Protect environment via private property ownership.
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Families & Children
Robert Steele: Back to one-income families & stay-at-home opportunities.
Brian Moore: 16 months paid maternity & paternity leave.
Harry Browne: Families are the first dept. of Housing, Education & Welfare.
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Foreign Policy
Robert Steele: Open Source Agency to do Open Source Intelligence.
Brian Moore: Large-scale transfer of technology to developing countries.
Brian Moore: Corporate interests are the cause of most wars.
Harry Browne: Nuclear espionage results from over-large bureaucracy.
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Free Trade
Andre Barnett: Supports expanding free trade.
Robert Steele: Free Trade is a scam.
Robert Steele: Oppose expanding free trade.
JL Mealer: No free trade; no UN membership.
Scott Keller: Free trade with the full involvement of the people.
Brian Moore: Withdraw from NAFTA, FTAA, WTO, and IMF.
Harry Browne: Replace WTO & NAFTA with uniformly low tariffs.
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Government Reform
Andre Barnett: Stricter limits on political campaign funds.
Robert Steele: Bush and Obama White Houses both ruled by secrecy.
Robert Steele: Citizens United is a national disgrace.
Robert Steele: Stricter limits on political campaign funds.
JL Mealer: Crush special interests & incumbents who oppose 3rd parties.
Scott Keller: Elections should be 100% free, not for the wealthy.
Scott Keller: Ranked Voting and instant Run off Voting.
Brian Moore: Public financing of campaigns, with free TV access.
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Gun Control
Andre Barnett: Supports absolute right to gun ownership.
Robert Steele: No federal, state, or local constraint on gun rights.
Robert Steele: Strongly supports absolute right to gun ownership.
JL Mealer: Repeal NFA Title I & II.
Scott Keller: Support 2nd amendment but we shouldn't need it.
Brian Moore: Right to bear arms needed for oppressed people.
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Health Care
Andre Barnett: Opposes more federal funding for health coverage.
Andre Barnett: Expand the armed forces.
Robert Steele: Health education instead of regulation.
Robert Steele: Opposes more federal funding for health coverage.
Robert Steele: Cut military-industrial complex back to $300 billion a year.
JL Mealer: Treat those who are incapable of caring for themselves.
JL Mealer: Replace ObamaCare with Mealer Economic Initiative.
Scott Keller: Encourage non-profit hospitals.
Scott Keller: More funding for health coverage, but change model.
Brian Moore: National health care system for all citizens.
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Homeland Security
Andre Barnett: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties.
Robert Steele: War is a racket: Phase out all overseas bases.
Robert Steele: Shut down Dept. of Homeland Security & Cyber-Command.
Robert Steele: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties.
Gary Johnson: Allies want more US military spending, but cut by 43%.
JL Mealer: Oppose the Patriot Act; but support profiling.
JL Mealer: Expand armed forces programs.
Scott Keller: Wire tapping is a huge invasion of privacy.
Scott Keller: Expand armed forces with shifted focus.
Scott Keller: Expand the military in smart directions.
Brian Moore: Close down all foreign military bases.
Brian Moore: Close down the DHS and repeal the Patriot Act.
Brian Moore: Reduce terrorist threat by ending foreign exploitation.
Harry Browne: We have strong offense & weak defense-switch it.
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Immigration
Andre Barnett: Opposes illegal immigrants earning citizenship.
Robert Steele: We committed genocide on Native Americans.
Robert Steele: Support illegal immigrants earning citizenship.
Gary Johnson: Let some, but not all, illegal immigrants stay in US.
JL Mealer: Earn citizenship via the Mealer Immigration Policy.
JL Mealer: End Mexican drug trade by path to citizenship.
Scott Keller: Change Dream Act so everyone wins.
Scott Keller: Build arcologies at the borders that serve as fences.
Brian Moore: End the militarization of the US/Mexican border.
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Jobs
Robert Steele: Pursue full employment with no inflation.
JL Mealer: Labor standards in the US and abroad.
Brian Moore: Unemployment compensation at 100% of previous income.
Brian Moore: 30-hour work week with 6-weeks annual paid vacation.
Brian Moore: Militant labor action for social ownership of production.
Brian Moore: Set minimum wage of $15 per hour and index upward.
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Principles & Values
Robert Steele: Two-party bi-opoly sacrifices integrity for power.
Brian Moore: Abolition all forms of domination and exploitation.
Harry Browne: Libertarians lay out goals and let you plan your own life.
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Social Security
Andre Barnett: Opposes privatizing Social Security.
Robert Steele: Congressional corruption puts Social Security at risk.
Robert Steele: Strongly opposes privatizing Social Security.
JL Mealer: Privatize Social Security with a Government option.
Scott Keller: Make Social Security a non-profit system.
Scott Keller: Privatization opens up Americans to the wolves.
Scott Keller: Retirees have paid their dues.
Scott Keller: Non-monetary communities for retirees.
Brian Moore: Retirement at age 55 with $25,000 annual income.
Harry Browne: Budget surplus doesn’t exist-it’s all the Trust Fund.
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Tax Reform
Andre Barnett: Opposes progressive taxation; simplify instead.
Robert Steele: Eliminate all income taxes & corporate taxes.
Robert Steele: Automated Payment Transaction: tax all financial transfers.
Robert Steele: Make taxes progressive by taxing currency & stock trades.
JL Mealer: Replace tax system with the FairTax.
Scott Keller: Don't increase personal federal taxes in any way.
Brian Moore: Steeply graduated income tax and estate tax.
Harry Browne: End income tax & replace it with nothing.
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Technology
Robert Steele: Smart Nation: panarchy through National Ballot Initiative.
Brian Moore: Massive federal investment in infrastructure.
Brian Moore: Transfer interstate highway funding to high-speed rail.
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War & Peace
Andre Barnett: US out of Iraq, but keep NATO presence.
Robert Steele: Iraq spending could have begun "infinite wealth" in USA.
Robert Steele: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan.
JL Mealer: Out of Iraq & Afghanistan; stay in Pakistan.
Scott Keller: US out of Iraq and Afghanistan, immediately.
Brian Moore: End wars by removing greed motivation & cultural alienation.
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Welfare & Poverty
Andre Barnett: Allow churches to provide welfare services.
Robert Steele: 50% of all entitlements are fraud, waste, and abuse.
Robert Steele: Support allowing churches to provide welfare services.
JL Mealer: No church-based welfare services with taxpayer funds.
Scott Keller: We shouldn't NEED welfare; but let churches provide it.
Brian Moore: Eliminate poverty by eliminating for-profit system.
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