Al Gore on VoteMatch

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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 unrestricted right (+2 points on Social scale)	Abortion question is for women, not government or president: Favors topic 1 Voted against Medicare-funded abortions; but now supports it: Opposes topic 1 Always, always defend a woman’s right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1 Abortions should be safe, legal, and rare: Favors topic 1
Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Close gender gap; equal pay for women: Favors topic 2 Keep affirmative action; reject numerical quotas: Favors topic 2 More minorities in government to reflect America: Favors topic 2 Affirmative action still needed - continue the fight: Favors topic 2 Need more opportunities for women-owned businesses: Favors topic 2 Shift from group preferences to economic empowerment of all: Neutral on topic 2
Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+2 points on Social scale)	Find some way for civic union; but not gay marriage: Neutral on topic 3 Find some way for civic union; but not gay marriage: Favors topic 3 Stop discrimination against same-sex domestic partnerships: Strongly Favors topic 3 Expand laws for gays but don’t re-open Civil Rights Act: Favors topic 3 Recognize gays & lesbians in the circle of human dignity: Favors topic 3
Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-3 points on Social scale)	Voluntary school prayer is ok, if teachers aren’t involved: Opposes topic 4 5-point plan: High school exit exams; focus on character: Favors topic 4 Solution is gun control, V-chips, and character education: Favors topic 4 7M people off welfare: reform has worked: Favors topic 4 Supports V-Chip and parental controls over TV & Internet: Favors topic 4 Supports volunteerism thru faith-based organizations: Favors topic 4 “Charitable Choice:” Fed funds for church-based welfare: Strongly Favors topic 4 Faith-based organizations replace govt programs: Strongly Favors topic 4 Voluntary school prayer is ok, if teachers aren’t involved: Favors topic 4 Faith-based organizations replace gov't programs: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	The goal of universal health care will take time: Strongly Favors topic 5 Wants some form of non-government universal health care: Opposes topic 5 Incrementally fix lack of health care access: Favors topic 5 Aims to insure 15 million uninsured: Strongly Favors topic 5 $300B over 15 years to keep Medicare solvent: Strongly Favors topic 5 Capping Medicaid payments hurts minorities: Strongly Favors topic 5 Establish "report cards" on HMO quality of care: Favors topic 5
Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-3 points on Economic scale)	2000: Pilfered Paul Ryan's idea for "lock box": Opposes topic 6 Use stock market for private investment, not Social Security: Opposes topic 6 Use balanced budget to save Social Security, not Wall Street: Opposes topic 6 Gore: Bush’s Social Security plan is risky privatization: Opposes topic 6 Privatization is “stock market roulette”: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Create Retirement Savings Accounts: Favors topic 6
Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-3 points on Economic scale)	$170B on education over next 10 years: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers cause public schools to have 9:30 lunch & no desks: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Choice & competition only within public & charter schools: Opposes topic 7 Increase public school aid by 50% instead of vouchers: Opposes topic 7 No experimental vouchers: Strongly Opposes topic 7 More choice, more local control, within public schools: Opposes topic 7 Against vouchers; build up public schools instead: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	To let earth continue warming would be deeply immoral: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Use market capitalism as ally of environmentalism: Opposes topic 8 A clean environment and a healthy economy do not conflict: Opposes topic 8 Invest in clean water, air, & land in “Environmental Decade”: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Market-based goals for power plants’ air pollution: Opposes topic 8 Environmental justice and economic revival go hand-in-hand: Opposes topic 8 If we do nothing else, save the rain forest: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Americans generate too much waste: Strongly Opposes topic 8 The US should lead the global environmental movement: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Calculate environmental impact when measuring profit: Opposes topic 8 Drilling ANWR too high a price for a few months of oil: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Control clean air in National Parks: Opposes topic 8 Carbon dioxide causes global warming and we should act: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Recognizes disparities in sentencing blacks: Opposes topic 9 Supports death penalty; no moratorium for new DNA techniques: Strongly Favors topic 9 Death penalty for murdering federal officers: Favors topic 9 Crime plan: More police; tougher penalties; victims’ rights: Strongly Favors topic 9 Three Strikes should apply only to truly violent crimes: Favors topic 9 Supports “Three Strikes -- You’re Out” law: Favors topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Agrees with Bush on banning weapons; but wants registration: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Nationally mandated, state-run system of photo licensing: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Take on the NRA with presidential leadership: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Passed toughest gun control in 30 years; same for next 30: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology: Opposes topic 10 YES on background checks at gun shows: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Modest tax cuts will help the middle class: Favors topic 11 $250B over 10 years in targeted tax cuts: Opposes topic 11 Rules out tax increase in good economic times: Opposes topic 11 Too large a tax cut would wreck economy & military readiness: Favors topic 11 $792B tax cut is a “risky tax scheme”: Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Citizenship for 1.2M cleared backlog, but sacrificed quality: Strongly Favors topic 12 More immigrants to alleviate labor shortage: Strongly Favors topic 12 Immigration leads to diversity and cultural tolerance: Strongly Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Use Fast Track to encourage new markets: Strongly Favors topic 13 Free and fair trade means economic growth and jobs: Opposes topic 13 Protectionism only protects us from prosperity: Strongly Favors topic 13 Supports permanent normal trade relations with China: Favors topic 13 Open markets with safeguards for labor and environment: Favors topic 13 Build a rule-based global trading system: Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	Damage done at Abu Ghraib was serious: Opposes topic 14 Renounce policy of holding US citizens as enemy combatants: Opposes topic 14 Chernomyrdin Commission produced results despite corruption: Opposes topic 14 Cuba: Hard-liner on Castro; keep sanctions: Favors topic 14 Agrees with unions on 90% of issues, but not on free trade: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Chechnya: Keep aid that helps US; cut off aid that helps war: Favors topic 14 Make trade work for working families: Favors topic 14 OpEd: compares U.S. to a dysfunctional civilization: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Nation-building is part of world leadership: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Supports New Security Agenda and Third-World debt relief: Opposes topic 14 UN treaties are effective means for US to help Third World: Opposes topic 14 Strong defense for world leader; tie defense to other issues: Favors topic 14 Pay UN dues, as leader of the world: Opposes topic 14 US bonds with Israel endure; we should broker: Favors topic 14
Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+2 points on Social scale)	OpEd: Supported Star Wars in 2000 to avoid looking weak: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Build-down military to smaller but more effective: Opposes topic 15 Invest in technological edge to keep military strong: Favors topic 15 Personnel: better pay; housing; family services; healthcare: Favors topic 15 Against SDI & more carriers; for Grenada & nuclear freeze: Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Full & robust public financing of all federal elections: Strongly Favors topic 16 Campaign finance reform will help end cynicism in politics: Favors topic 16 McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform will be first bill: Favors topic 16 Campaign finance reform will be very first bill to Congress: Strongly Favors topic 16 $7B public campaign finance fund: Strongly Favors topic 16 Offers soft-money ban to Bush; Gore won’t allow first ads: Strongly Favors topic 16 Mistakes: soft money; attack ads; private campaign money: Favors topic 16 Free TV and radio for candidates during campaigns: Favors topic 16 Public financing of elections and debates lead to trust: Strongly Favors topic 16 Public campaign financing, open candidates’ tax returns: Strongly Favors topic 16 Has supported bills like McCain-Feingold for 20 years: Favors topic 16 Supports campaign finance reform; has refused PAC money: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+5 points on Social scale)	Bush engaged in mass deception of the US public about Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 Supported force in Mideast, Balkans, Haiti, not Somalia: Favors topic 17 Pres. Bush did too little for Russia; Clinton did not: Favors topic 17 New Security Agenda: keep old; build new; avoid isolation: Favors topic 17 Committed to the survival & security of Israel: Strongly Favors topic 17 Progressive Internationalism: globalize with US pre-eminence: Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Sustainability revolution at speed of digital revolution: Strongly Favors topic 18 We're treating the sky as an open sewer: Strongly Favors topic 18 Immediate freeze now; then reduce CO2 emissions 90% by 2050: Strongly Favors topic 18 A different kind of campaign: make climate change #1 issue: Favors topic 18 Kyoto goals are an indispensable first step: Strongly Favors topic 18 Pushed for BTU tax on coal & gas, in 1993: Strongly Favors topic 18 Global warming is a strategic threat: Favors topic 18 Tax credits for efficient vehicles and homes, green towns: Favors topic 18 Supports tradable emissions permits for greenhouse gases: Favors topic 18 YES on do not require ethanol in gasoline: Opposes topic 18
Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-3 points on Social scale)	Science doesn’t say medical marijuana is proper: Favors topic 19 Drug treatment programs for every addict who wants one: Opposes topic 19 Lead a national crusade against drugs: Strongly Favors topic 19 Drug efforts are beginning to pay off; we must do more: Favors topic 19 After-school programs prevent most drug use: Opposes topic 19
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-3 points on Economic scale)	Paying down debt reduces government intrusion: Opposes topic 20 Federal matching funds for poor and middle class savings: Strongly Favors topic 20 Claim that every family is eligible for tax cut is unlikely: Favors topic 20 Target surplus at national debt, rainy days, & education: Strongly Favors topic 20 Lower taxes for working families with targeted tax reform: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Tax cuts to benefit middle-class, not just the rich: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Don’t eliminate gas tax; ask oil interests to charge less: Favors topic 20 Surest way to bust economy is Bush’s tax cuts: Favors topic 20 Use surplus to strengthen Social Security, Medicare: Strongly Favors topic 20 Balance or surplus except in crises.: Opposes topic 20 Reduce poverty to 10% via welfare reform & minimum wage: Strongly Favors topic 20

Al Gore is a Populist-Leaning Liberal
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