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 Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (-5 points on Social scale)	YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 YES on banning partial-birth abortions: Opposes topic 1 YES on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad: Opposes topic 1 YES on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes: Opposes topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	YES on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions: Opposes topic 2
Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+2 points on Social scale)	I authored DOMA, but now it should be repealed: Favors topic 3 Replace DOMA with state decisions on gay marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Criticizes efforts to restrict rights of homosexuals: Strongly Favors topic 3 Authored Defense of Marriage Act: Strongly Opposes topic 3 YES on banning gay adoptions in DC: Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-5 points on Social scale)	Let schools display the words "God Bless America": Strongly Favors topic 4 Supports anti-flag desecration amendment: Favors topic 4 Supports requiring schools to allow prayer: Favors topic 4 Supports a Constitutional Amendment for school prayer: Strongly Favors topic 4 NO on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations: Opposes topic 4 YES on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks: Strongly Favors topic 4
Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+2 points on Economic scale)	YES on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 5 YES on subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Social Security is immoral; make it voluntary: Strongly Favors topic 6 Create personal retirement accounts within Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 6 Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings: Favors topic 6 NO on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox: Favors topic 6 YES on reducing tax payments on Social Security benefits: Favors topic 6 YES on raising 401(k) limits & making pension plans more portable: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Don’t let California home schooling ban spread: Favors topic 7 YES on vouchers for private & parochial schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 YES on allowing vouchers in DC schools: Favors topic 7
Neutral on topic 8: Human needs over animal rights (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-5 points on Social scale)	More prisons, more enforcement, effective death penalty: Favors topic 9 Prevent luxurious conditions in prisons: Strongly Favors topic 9 YES on making federal death penalty appeals harder: Strongly Favors topic 9 NO on maintaining right of habeas corpus in Death Penalty Appeals: Favors topic 9 YES on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime: Favors topic 9 NO on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons.: Strongly Favors topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Sponsored bill banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Favors topic 10 YES on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1: Strongly Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	New tax revolt: both reduce and simplify taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Lower taxes by dramatically cutting back size of government: Strongly Opposes topic 11 The FairTax replaces the IRS plus payroll taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal the 16th amendment & eliminate the income tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Reduce the capital gains tax : Strongly Opposes topic 11 Phaseout the death tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes: Opposes topic 11 YES on eliminating the "marriage penalty": Opposes topic 11 YES on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business: Opposes topic 11 YES on Tax cut package of $958 B over 10 years: Opposes topic 11 YES on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years: Opposes topic 11 YES on eliminating the Estate Tax ("death tax"): Opposes topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-3 points on Social scale)	Open borders to anyone who wants to cross, with screening: Favors topic 12 Be aggressive in securing our borders: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Sponsored bill declaring English the US' official language: Opposes topic 12 NO on more immigrant visas for skilled workers: Opposes topic 12
Strongly Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-5 points on Economic scale)	For free trade, but pull out of NAFTA & the WTO: Opposes topic 13 NO on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NO on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on withdrawing from the WTO: Strongly Opposes topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 14: Maintain US sovereignty from UN (+5 points on Social scale)	Applying habeas in Guantanamo reaffirms fundamental liberty: Strongly Favors topic 14 The Nanny State is getting increasingly intrusive: Favors topic 14 Restore habeas corpus and protect citizens from government: Strongly Favors topic 14 Real ID Act is Big Government at its worst: Strongly Favors topic 14 Military tribunals ok, if monitored & defined: Opposes topic 14 YES on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored: Strongly Favors topic 14
Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-3 points on Social scale)	No US troops under UN command; more defense spending: Favors topic 15 YES on $266 billion Defense Appropriations bill: Favors topic 15 YES on deploying SDI: Favors topic 15
Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-3 points on Economic scale)	Restrict campaign donations from foreigners or 3rd parties: Favors topic 16 NO on banning soft money and issue ads: Opposes topic 16 YES on banning soft money donations to national political parties: Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Stay out of Iran (+2 points on Social scale)	America is not an occupying power: Favors topic 17 Restore military to defense; commit to non-intervention: Favors topic 17
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Repeal the gas tax: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels: Strongly Opposes topic 18 NO on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Favors topic 19: Never legalize marijuana (-3 points on Social scale)	Favors the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes: Strongly Opposes topic 19 No national nannies: leave smokers alone: Opposes topic 19 Illegal drug traffickers are murderers: Strongly Favors topic 19 In Congress, a strong supporter of the War on Drugs: Strongly Favors topic 19 Ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC: Strongly Favors topic 19 YES on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism: Strongly Favors topic 19
Neutral on topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)