Al Sharpton 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)
Strongly Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (+5 points on Social scale)	Women can choose about their life and their body: Strongly Favors topic 1 Conserve Roe v. Wade: Favors topic 1 Abortion is wrong, but let women choose: Favors topic 1 His Supreme Court nominees will allow right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Reparations based on Lincoln’s promise of 40 acres & a mule: Strongly Favors topic 2 Institutional discrimination still hinders minorities: Strongly Favors topic 2 Equal protection under the law, not racial polarization: Favors topic 2 Supports reparations and affirmative action: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	Don’t let states deal with gay rights-equal federal rights: Favors topic 3 Banning gay marriage says gays are less than human: Strongly Favors topic 3 Supports gay rights-let people choose to sin or not: Favors topic 3 Let gays and lesbians adopt: Strongly Favors topic 3
Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-3 points on Social scale)	Supports school prayer, but don’t impose it: Favors topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (+5 points on Social scale)	States rights are dangerous when applied to death penalty: Opposes topic 8 Opposed to death penalty under any circumstances: Strongly Opposes topic 8 End the death penalty-discriminatory, non-deterrent, wrong: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Only candidate opposed to death penalty: Strongly Opposes topic 8 It’s no coincidence that the wealthy don’t get executed: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+5 points on Social scale)	Prison programs for job skills & drug rehab: Opposes topic 9 Focus on prevention instead of Three Strikes: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Require background checks, licensing, and fingerprinting: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Supports federal gun licensing & registration: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	Other plans are step in the right direction of single-payer: Strongly Favors topic 5 Forget half-a-loaf--support single-payer: Strongly Favors topic 5 Right to health care, to education, and to vote: Favors topic 5 Guarantee health care with Constitutional amendment: Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	More financing for Social Security in its current form: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Faster economic growth will save Social Security: Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-5 points on Economic scale)	Vouchers are a gradual step toward privatization: Strongly Opposes topic 7 GOP plan is to use vouchers to reduce education funding: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Supports public education, not vouchers: Strongly Opposes topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Cap CO2 emissions and re-enter Kyoto discussions: Strongly Favors topic 18 Build hybrid vehicles; raise CAFE to 45 mpg: Strongly Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+5 points on Social scale)	Something wrong with mandatory time for drug users: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (-3 points on Economic scale)	Focus welfare on child care & low-income housing: Opposes topic 20
Strongly Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-5 points on Economic scale)	Repeal virtually all of the Bush tax cuts: Strongly Favors topic 11 Bush tax cuts make us victims of a war of mass distraction: Strongly Favors topic 11 Bush isn’t cutting taxes, he’s shifting taxes: Strongly Favors topic 11 Repealing tax cut isn’t raising taxes; it’s saving America: Favors topic 11 Would repeal all Bush tax cuts: Favors topic 11 Bush’s unilateral foreign policy is short-sighted: Strongly Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+5 points on Social scale)	Relax Mexican border to match Canadian border: Favors topic 12 Current immigration law is discriminatory: Favors topic 12 Immigration system is archaic & biased against Latinos: Strongly Favors topic 12
Strongly Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-5 points on Economic scale)	Disagreed with NAFTA under Clinton AND under Bush: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Against NAFTA; don’t sacrifice environment to economy: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Repeal NAFTA and GATT: too business-friendly: Strongly Opposes topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 15: Expand the armed forces (+5 points on Social scale)	Cut defense budget, even if unpopular: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Military increases have nothing to do with terrorism: Strongly Opposes topic 15
No opinion on topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (+5 points on Social scale)	Patriot Act is unpatriotic illegitimate legislation: Strongly Favors topic 14
Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq (+2 points on Social scale)	Consistent foreign policy, and allies, are important: Favors topic 17