Tom Ridge on VoteMatch

VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background)	Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (+2 points on Social scale)	Pro-choice: Favors topic 1 Allow abortions, with limits; no partial-birth: Favors topic 1
No opinion on topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (0 points on Economic scale)	Opposes Affirmative Action: Opposes topic 2 Support principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment: Favors topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-5 points on Social scale)	No special gay laws; no gay marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Teacher-led voluntary prayer is OK: Strongly Favors topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports victim’s rights & death penalty: Strongly Favors topic 8 More prisons; more death penalty: Strongly Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	Stricter penalties; less parole: Strongly Favors topic 9 Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs: Neutral on topic 9
No opinion on topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+2 points on Economic scale)	Guaranteed medical care is not a government responsibility: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Protect state tobacco settlement funds from federal seizure: Neutral on topic 5
No opinion on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	Maintain federal Social Services Block Grant funding: Favors topic 6 Maintain long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare: Opposes topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+5 points on Economic scale)	More standards, and make them clear: Favors topic 7 More charters; push for school choice: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers for private & religious schools: Strongly Favors topic 7
Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (+2 points on Economic scale)	Changed rules & got 350 polluted industrial sites cleaned up: Favors topic 18 Let industries audit themselves & then clean up: Strongly Opposes topic 18 More flexibility in environmental regulation: Favors topic 18 Voluntary partnerships reduce greenhouse gases economically: Neutral on topic 18 Kyoto Treaty must include reductions by all countries: Opposes topic 18
Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-3 points on Social scale)	More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War: Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+2 points on Economic scale)	Able-bodied welfare recipients must work 100 hours a month: Favors topic 20 Maintain flexibility & funding levels for TANF block grants: Favors topic 20
Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+2 points on Economic scale)	Cut taxes as governor by $2.6B: Opposes topic 11 60% legislative supermajority for raising taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 End computer service tax; start R&D tax credit: Opposes topic 11 No national sales tax or VAT: Neutral on topic 11
No opinion on topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (0 points on Social scale)	Share costs of legal immigration between states & federal: Neutral on topic 12 Federal government should deal with criminal repatriation: Neutral on topic 12
No opinion on topic 13: Support & expand free trade (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 15: Expand the armed forces (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 17: US out of Iraq (0 points on Social scale)	Include states in anti-terrorism planning: Neutral on topic 17