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)	Long record of support for abortion rights: Strongly Favors topic 1 Remove anti-abortion language from GOP platform: Strongly Favors topic 1 Supported abortion rights; moderate stance on social issues: Favors topic 1 Clinic access is guarding a fundamental constitutional right: Strongly Favors topic 1 OpEd: pro-choice stance means ineligible for ambassadorship: Favors topic 1 Partial-birth abortion is terrible, but don't ban it: Favors topic 1 Pro-choice despite the Republican pro-life party platform: Strongly Favors topic 1 Support a woman’s right to choose as an individual freedom: Strongly Favors topic 1 Government out of your pocketbook and your bedroom: Favors topic 1 Establish state pro-choice laws in case Roe gets overturned: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Republican Party should reject immoral choice of racism: Favors topic 2 1990s: Established MA African Caribbean American commission: Favors topic 2 1995: reaffirmed commitment to affirmative action: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Created Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth: Strongly Favors topic 3 Supported domestic partners; amicus for same sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Supports gay marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 I led Massachusetts on gay rights, and MA led America: Strongly Favors topic 3 Marriage equality is dictated by equal protection clause: Strongly Favors topic 3 Delivered homily at two same-sex weddings: Strongly Favors topic 3 $1M for homosexual youth office coordinator: Strongly Favors topic 3 Overturn CA Prop. 8: Let gays marry: Strongly Favors topic 3
No opinion on topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-3 points on Economic scale)	Supports increased Medicaid access: Favors topic 5 More consumer choice instead of single-payer: Opposes topic 5 Tweak ObamaCare with more free market and more choices: Favors topic 5 Likes health savings accounts & more competition: Favors topic 5 Vetoed cigarette-tax hike that paid for kids' health care: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Will not abolish social security and receives it himself: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Just started receiving Social Security and likes it: Opposes topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Abolish the federal Department of Education: Strongly Favors topic 7 Control of education by states and parents, more choice: Favors topic 7 Relaxed the eligibility rules for care under Medicaid: Favors topic 7 Prefers state input on education, not one national standard: Favors topic 7 Establish the first 25 charter schools in Massachusetts: Strongly Favors topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	I'm a lifelong environmentalist, like Theodore Roosevelt: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Protect environment with competition, not regulation: Favors topic 8 1996 River Protection Act: 9,000 miles of land use rules: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Favored EPA's electric car mandate and stricter smog limits: Opposes topic 8 OpEd: Supports expansive environmental regulations: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Prosecute police for civil rights violations: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Prosecuted organized crime for 7 years in Justice Department: Favors topic 9 Opposes weekend furloughs for convicted murderers & rapists: Favors topic 9 When we catch the bad guys, we've got to hammer them: Strongly Favors topic 9 Support death penalty for cop killers: Strongly Favors topic 9 Tough on taxes, tough on crime: Favors topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	1990s: supported assault weapons bans: Opposes topic 10 Now Libertarian, changed position to opposing gun control: Strongly Favors topic 10 2nd Amendment right s are individual rights: Strongly Favors topic 10 Supports gun control: Opposes topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	I never met a tax cut I didn't like: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Greatly increase the earned income tax credit: Favors topic 11 There's no such thing as government money: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Favors cutting spending, cutting taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Top priority: zero-based budgeting; cut spending; cut taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Cut capital gains tax; look at flat tax on income: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Cut taxes without abolishing the IRS: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Cut taxes 15 times as governor: Opposes topic 11 My across-the-board tax cuts exceeded $1 billion: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Roll back more than $2 billion in recent tax increases: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Trump's deportation policy is like Nazi Germany: Strongly Favors topic 12 Guest worker program rather than path to citizenship: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Fear-mongering about immigrants is like Nazi round-ups: Strongly Favors topic 12 More H-1B visas; keep more foreign grads & entrepreneurs: Favors topic 12 Current system is "de facto legalization" for 11 million: Strongly Favors topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Rejoin TPP in a heartbeat: beachhead against China: Strongly Favors topic 13 Return to free trade; tariffs counterproductive: Strongly Favors topic 13 Tariffs in 1920s croaked the world economy: Strongly Favors topic 13 Despite being Libertarian VP, still interested in free trade: Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	China promised two systems for Hong Kong; we're watching: Opposes topic 14 Multi-party talks to resolve Venezuelan situation: Opposes topic 14 Supports Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution: Opposes topic 14 Withdrawing from Iran nuke deal was a colossal blunder: Opposes topic 14 Lesson of Iraq War: train Saudis, but no US troops there: Strongly Opposes topic 14 No alliances for intelligence: We have to do it ourselves!: Strongly Favors topic 14 Trump's agenda is hurtful to America & the world: Opposes topic 14
Strongly Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+5 points on Social scale)	Supports non-nuclear proliferation efforts: Opposes topic 15 Phase down our nuclear stockpile: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Nuclear proliferation is #1 threat to world security: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Maintain invincible defense but cut military 20%: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+2 points on Social scale)	Government leaders should inspire and unite, not divide: Favors topic 16 Supports term limits; they bring in fresh blood: Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+2 points on Social scale)	Unlimited military aid to Ukraine against Russian incursion: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Partial sanction relief for partial Korean denuclearization: Favors topic 17 Supported the Obama administration's Iran nuclear deal: Favors topic 17 Troops out of Afghanistan; should have done it long ago: Strongly Favors topic 17 Don't use military for regime change: Favors topic 17 Priority is not "no fly zone" but to stop killing in Aleppo: Strongly Favors topic 17 Supports libertarian "restraint" on military action: Strongly Favors topic 17 Presumption of non-intervention on foreign soil: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Treat ISIS as a gigantic organized crime family: Favors topic 17 Don't intervene abroad when people are mean to each other: Strongly Favors topic 17
Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Would rejoin Paris accords: Favors topic 18 Climate change is real, must be addressed: Favors topic 18 Climate change dangers are real; rejoin Paris Accords: Strongly Favors topic 18 Carbon capture & sequestration technology for global warming: Opposes topic 18 Carbon trading credits but no carbon tax: Favors topic 18 As governor, supported hybrid electric cars and natural gas: Strongly Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+2 points on Social scale)	On board of cannabis company; supported medical marijuana: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Accept benefits of cannabis; allow vets and seniors to use: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Tighten opioid prescription rules to keep them off streets: Favors topic 19 100 million Americans who've smoked dope are not criminals: Strongly Favors topic 19 Substance abuse cases should not go to criminal prison: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Favors medical marijuana and needle-exchange programs: Opposes topic 19 Favors "clean" needle giveaways to drug addicts: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Less welfare for drug users; tougher sentences for offenders: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+2 points on Economic scale)	No such thing as government money; only taxpayer's money: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Teach skill sets for tech jobs of the future: Favors topic 20 Balance the Federal budget as states do: Opposes topic 20 Blow up unnecessary state agencies: Strongly Opposes topic 20 In-state training for displaced workers, including on-line: Favors topic 20 Cut 20% waste in every federal agency: Opposes topic 20 I was one of the most fiscally conservative governors: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Abolish wasteful programs and support balanced budgets: Opposes topic 20 Balanced budget in downturn after boom decade of spending: Strongly Opposes topic 20