Bill Clinton 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 unrestricted right (+5 points on Social scale)	Allow medical research that uses tissue from aborted fetuses: Strongly Opposes topic 1 1993: Rescind Mexico City Policy: fund abortion abroad: Favors topic 1 Roe v. Wade was the right decision: Strongly Favors topic 1 1993: allowed abortions on overseas U.S. military bases: Strongly Favors topic 1 Require Medicaid to pay for abortions for poor women: Strongly Favors topic 1 Revoke Mexico City Policy: family planning ok in foreign aid: Favors topic 1 Let women decide with their doctor and their God: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Do the hard work of bridging racial divisions: Strongly Favors topic 2 1997: Lead a great and unprecedented conversation on race: Strongly Favors topic 2 Unlike most white politicians, didn't need Jesse Jackson: Strongly Favors topic 2 1996: Supported affirmative action despite its unpopularity: Strongly Favors topic 2 Women should get equal pay for equal work: Strongly Favors topic 2 Help minority- and women-owned businesses compete: Strongly Favors topic 2 Affirmative Action is still an effective tool: Strongly Favors topic 2 OpEd: Clinton administration has a love affair with quotas: Strongly Favors topic 2 Affirmative action: mend it, don’t end it: Favors topic 2 Affirmative action is a moral imperative: Strongly 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)	Overturn DOMA; it provided an excuse for discrimination: Strongly Favors topic 3 Promised open gays in military; but compromised with DADT: Strongly Opposes topic 3 1993: Issued gays-in-military policy ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’: Strongly Favors topic 3 End Discrimination Against People With AIDS: Favors topic 3 First President to appoint open gays: Favors topic 3 Focus National Efforts on an AIDS Vaccine: Favors topic 3 Include sexual orientation in Hate Crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3
Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-3 points on Social scale)	End welfare as we know it: Favors topic 4 Address Homelessness via federal, state, & county govt: Opposes topic 4 Transfer 10% of federal housing to churches, for homeless: Strongly Favors topic 4 Need not leave religion at the schoolhouse door: Favors topic 4 Private student prayer OK; but no official school prayer: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Welfare-to-work, instead of welfare as a way of life: Favors topic 4 Welfare reform includes states, communities, & businesses: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	ObamaCare has already insured millions and reduced costs: Strongly Favors topic 5 ObamaCare has already insured millions and reduced costs: Strongly Favors topic 5 Compromise on delivery methods to preserve full healthcare: Strongly Favors topic 5 1990s plan: affordable, competitive, universal healthcare: Strongly Favors topic 5 Universal coverage would reduce bureaucratic costs: Favors topic 5 Loosen eligibility for disability benefits: Favors topic 5 Do more for health insurance: Favors topic 5 Establish "report cards" on HMO quality of care: Favors topic 5
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+2 points on Economic scale)	Proposed a small portion of Trust Fund be in mutual funds: Favors topic 6 USA accounts: retirement security for the 21st century: Favors topic 6 Create optional Individual Development Accounts: Favors topic 6 Safeguard retirement plans and minimize risk: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Create Retirement Savings Accounts: Favors topic 6
Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-3 points on Economic scale)	Pushed for voluntary national school standards: Favors topic 7 Goals 2000: public school choice & character education: Favors topic 7 Favors parental choice in childcare & in education: Favors topic 7 Expand public school choice and public charter schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Reward best public schools; redesign failing ones: 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)	Wind, solar, and retrofits create more jobs than coal: Opposes topic 8 Climate change is existential threat to civilization: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Lowered arsenic levels in drinking water: Strongly Opposes topic 8 False choice between economy and environment: Opposes topic 8 Throw corporate polluters in jail: Strongly Opposes topic 8 No net loss wetlands policy: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Much left to do on clean air, water, & environment: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	End over-imprisonment for non-serious crimes: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Approved Arkansas execution of mentally retarded black man: Strongly Favors topic 9 Crime has dropped, but US is still not safe enough: Favors topic 9 Expand the death penalty: Strongly Favors topic 9 More community police; more prison construction: Favors topic 9 Establish a national registry of sex offenders: Favors topic 9 Triple funding for battered women's shelters: Favors topic 9 1994 crime bill funded basketball instead of real problem: Opposes topic 9 Three Strikes and You’re Out for violent criminals: Strongly Favors topic 9 Death penalty for 60 violent crimes: Favors topic 9 More police, punishment, & prevention: Strongly Favors topic 9 Get tough on youth violence and gangs: Favors topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Background checks have prevented 179,000 illegal gun sales: Opposes topic 10 People should register guns like they register cars: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Five-day waiting period and instant background check: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Assault Weapons Ban resulted in 18% decline in use in crimes: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Support Brady Bill, oppose assault weapons: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology: Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Restrain spending AND raise taxes to reduce debt: Strongly Favors topic 11 Cutting taxes for the rich hurts deficit and future: Strongly Favors topic 11 Most millionaires don’t mind less tax cut to protect the US: Strongly Favors topic 11 My tax cut is the sacrifice of all of us: Favors topic 11 Bush tax cuts are fiscally irresponsible in long run: Strongly Favors topic 11 Cut the deficit to lower interest rates: Neutral on topic 11 Target tax cuts on IRAs, education, & families: Favors topic 11 Across-the-board tax cuts are irresponsible: Strongly Favors topic 11 Refused pledge for middle-class tax cut: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Increase taxes on top 1.2%; and on no one else: Strongly Favors topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Assure Mexico: no mass deportations: Favors topic 12 Reduce immigration backlog while maintaining quality: Favors topic 12 Opposed Official English; strengthen bilingual education: Strongly Favors topic 12 700 new Border Patrol agents; increased penalties on aliens: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Strict enforcement against illegal immigration: Opposes topic 12 We are richer for the energy & ideas of immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Export more services; get to emerging opportunities: Strongly Favors topic 13 1995: Determined to open Japanese auto market: Favors topic 13 1993: NAFTA passed, but at a high price of dividing Dems: Favors topic 13 OpEd: supporting NAFTA was sellout to corporate America: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NAFTA increased exports to Mexico by 11%: Strongly Favors topic 13 Completed the Reagan-Bush achievements on NAFTA: Strongly Favors topic 13 On balance, trade creates jobs: Favors topic 13 Support NAFTA & GATT: build bridges, not walls: Strongly Favors topic 13 For NAFTA with enforcement and job training: Favors topic 13 Build a rule-based global trading system: Favors topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-5 points on Economic scale)	US must not disentangle itself from the world: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Support Wye River Accords & other peace talks: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Implement Brahimi report: work towards UN standing army: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Bush’s unilateralism strains international partnerships: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Routinely provide intelligence info to the UN: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Bush missed opportunity to unite US and the world: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+2 points on Social scale)	Better to be wrong & strong than weak & right: Favors topic 15 START II: 25% reduction in nuclear arsenals: Opposes topic 15 Cut the $245B defense budget: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Reduce US forces in Europe to 100,000 troops: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Decrease force size but increase quality: Opposes topic 15 Strategy: strength, peace, and open trade: Neutral on topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	1993: Proposed (and failed at) campaign finance reform: Favors topic 16 Curb campaign spending & ban contributions from noncitizens: Strongly Favors topic 16 End soft money; cap political spending: Strongly Favors topic 16 Free TV time to candidates for public office: Strongly Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+2 points on Social scale)	ISIS would not be in Iraq if we had not invaded: Strongly Favors topic 17 1998: Seriously diminish threat posed by Iraqi WMDs: Opposes topic 17 Claims he opposed Iraq war from the beginning: Strongly Favors topic 17 1998: Rejected overthrowing Saddam as US policy: Strongly Favors topic 17 Most Democrats supported Bush on Iraq: Favors topic 17 OpEd: Aided Saddam even after he gassed the Kurds: Strongly Opposes topic 17 US must not disentangle itself from the world: Strongly Favors topic 17 Combat terrorism; contain Iraq; develop oil: Favors topic 17 Support forces of reform in Russia: Strongly Favors topic 17 Engagement over escapism and isolation: Favors topic 17 Devise NATIONAL policy, not foreign vs. domestic: 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)	Helped negotiate Kyoto Treaty on climate change: Strongly Favors topic 18 $1 trillion global market for clean energy: Favors topic 18 1997: Signed Kyoto Protocol on global warming: Strongly Favors topic 18 Climate change: more biomass, more efficiency: Strongly Favors topic 18 Tax incentive to produce 80 mpg superefficient cars: Strongly Favors topic 18 False choice between economy and environment: Favors topic 18 Need binding treaties on global warming: Strongly Favors topic 18 Much left to do on clean air, water, & environment: Favors topic 18 Increase fuel efficiency from 27 mpg to 40 mpg: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports tradable emissions permits for greenhouse gases: Favors topic 18
Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-3 points on Social scale)	Medical marijuana ok; leave recreational pot to the states: Opposes topic 19 Fight war on drugs in all of the Andean states: Opposes topic 19 $195M National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign: Favors topic 19 Stop the flow of illegal money to Colombia Cali cartel: Strongly Favors topic 19 OpEd: "War on Drugs" included gum package labeling: Opposes topic 19 DARE to have drug-free schools: Favors topic 19 Drug strategy to reduce both supply and demand: Favors topic 19 My brother would not be alive today if drugs were legal: Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-3 points on Economic scale)	Republicans cut taxes for the rich & deregulate banks: Favors topic 20 Gov't has role in security, social services, & oversight: Strongly Favors topic 20 Restrain spending AND raise taxes to reduce debt: Favors topic 20 First modern Pres.to use fiscal discipline to balance budget: Opposes topic 20 Republican tax cut was too big & too bloated: Favors topic 20 Proposed raising taxes on rich even if no revenue increase: Favors topic 20 1980: Broaden tax base or we have to cut services: Strongly Favors topic 20

Bill Clinton is a Populist-Leaning Liberal
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