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 right (-5 points on Social scale)	Will lead fight for constitutional ban on abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 No states rights for moral issues like abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 No tax funding for organizations that promote abortion: Opposes topic 1 Led Arkansas to human life amendment in state constitution: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Pro-life includes improving life after birth: Opposes topic 1 Outlaw all abortions; err on the side of life: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Even Americans who are pro-choice are pro-life: Strongly Favors topic 1 Eliminate public funding for abortion organizations: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Supports woman’s right-to-know legislation: Opposes topic 1 Pro-life, but respects choice as mandated law: Opposes topic 1 By deciding abortion is OK, we're our own god: Strongly Opposes topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	No affirmative action for state contracts nor colleges: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Support principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment: Favors topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (-5 points on Social scale)	Opposes “hate crimes” legislation: Opposes topic 3 Marriage relationship between one man, one woman, for life: Strongly Opposes topic 3 No “sexual orientation” in Employment Non-Discrimination Act: Opposes topic 3 Gay tolerance reflects lack of fixed societal standards: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Respect gay couples but no gay adoptions: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Signed legislation outlawing same-sex marriage in Arkansas: Strongly Opposes topic 3 No civil unions; only one-man-one-woman marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Impeach judges for barring legislature prayers to Jesus: Favors topic 4 No Fairness Doctrine: no equal time if morally objectionable: Favors topic 4 Ending school prayer was one step in society’s moral decay: Strongly Favors topic 4 Teach kids immovable standards of right & wrong: Strongly Favors topic 4 Incorporate character education into school curriculum: Strongly Favors topic 4 Support displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools: Strongly Favors topic 4 Supports “covenant marriage”: Favors topic 4 10 Commandments: principles to live by, not just pop culture: Strongly Favors topic 4
Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-3 points on Social scale)	Carried out death penalty more than any other AR governor: Strongly Favors topic 8 Death penalty is necessary part of criminal justice system: Favors topic 8 Defends death penalty biblically as well as politically: Strongly Favors topic 8 Pro-life and pro-death penalty, & sees them as far different: Favors topic 8 Supports death penalty, but only reluctantly: Favors topic 8 Commuted death penalty sentence due to problems at trial: Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	Nonsense of Three-Strikes makes system overrun with people: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Eliminating parole gives no incentive for rehabilitation: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Three Strikes based more on revenge than restoration: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Build more prisons, and privatize their management: Strongly Favors topic 9 Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs: Neutral on topic 9 Tougher juvenile crime penalties; but let states set them: Favors topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Second Amendmen is about freedom, not about hunting: Strongly Favors topic 10 Owns firearms; enjoys hunting; supports 2nd amendment: Strongly Favors topic 10 Supports self-defense and ‘castle doctrine’: Strongly Favors topic 10 Allow concealed carry: Favors topic 10
Opposes topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (+2 points on Economic scale)	Individually-controlled insurance, not government SCHIP: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Oppose mandated health insurance and universal coverage: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Dems want government in charge; GOP want consumers in charge: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Focus on health & prevention, not just disease treatment: Strongly Favors topic 5 STOP the culture of chronic disease via self-discipline: Favors topic 5 We don’t have a health-care system but a disease-care system: Favors topic 5 Guaranteed medical care not government’s responsibility: Strongly Opposes topic 5 ARKids First program: record decreases in uninsured: Favors topic 5 Protect state tobacco settlement funds from federal seizure: Neutral on topic 5
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+2 points on Economic scale)	Personalization of retirement funds, not privatization: Favors topic 6 Personal retirement accounts allow investing in one’s future: Favors topic 6 Maintain federal Social Services Block Grant funding: Favors topic 6 Maintain long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare: Opposes topic 6 Maintain federal funding of Social Services Block Grants: Favors topic 6
Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+2 points on Economic scale)	Tax-credited programs for Christian schooling: Strongly Favors topic 7 Authorize & advance more charter schools: Favors topic 7 Replace entire school board for failing schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Sends his kids to public school; says other officials should: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Reformed AR education with Smart Start & Next Step: Opposes topic 7 Supported creation of Arkansas charter schools: Favors topic 7 Raise teacher salaries; hire more teachers: Opposes topic 7
Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (+2 points on Economic scale)	Kyoto was a mistake, but “Earth in the Balance” is not: Opposes topic 18 Shouldn’t limit oil production while increasing consumption: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Explore ways to harness nuclear power: Opposes topic 18 Promote alternative fuel technology: Favors topic 18 Voluntary partnerships reduce greenhouse gases economically: Neutral on topic 18 Kyoto Treaty must include reductions by all countries: Opposes topic 18 More funding to develop domestic energy supplies: Opposes topic 18 Share offshore oil development revenue with states: Neutral on topic 18
Favors topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (-3 points on Social scale)	1999: doubled methamphetamine sentences: Strongly Favors topic 19 More drug courts & rehab, instead of incarceration: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Drug education fails; drug punishment works: Strongly Favors topic 19 Supports drug courts for non-violent drug offendors: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Stricter penalties for drug-related crimes: Strongly Favors topic 19 Treatment for drug use instead of incarceration: Strongly Opposes topic 19 More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War: Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+5 points on Economic scale)	Ok if church identifies candidates who favor its principles: Favors topic 20 First Amendment never intended to shut out voices of faith: Strongly Favors topic 20 Supports Charitable Choice for funding faith-based providers: Strongly Favors topic 20 More federal funding of IDEA for disabled education: Favors topic 20 Maintain flexibility & funding levels for TANF block grants: Favors topic 20 More federal funding for Low-income energy assistance: Neutral on topic 20 Supports TANF grants to states: Favors topic 20
Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+2 points on Economic scale)	Tax system punishes people for working & productivity: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Supported Bush tax cuts then; I support them now: Strongly Opposes topic 11 FactCheck: 90 cuts + 23 tax increases: net $505M increase: Favors topic 11 Gut this incredibly complex and arcane tax code: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Attacked as tax-and-spend by several anti-tax groups: Favors topic 11 FairTax puts Going-Out-of-Business sign on IRS: Strongly Opposes topic 11 First governor in Arkansas history to ever lower taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Wouldn’t propose new taxes, but won’t pledge against taxes: Favors topic 11 Supports national flat tax to keep up with globalization: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Eliminated AR marriage penalty & capital gains on home sales: Strongly Favors topic 11 Illustrated hypocrisy with “Tax Me More Fund”: Strongly Favors topic 11 Remove the poorest taxpayers from the tax rolls: Favors topic 11 No national sales tax or VAT: Neutral on topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-3 points on Social scale)	Illegal immigrants must go home and start over: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Pathway to citizenship must start at back of line, out of US: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Send illegals home so all in US can hold their heads high: Opposes topic 12 Some anti-immigration advocates are based on racism: Strongly Favors topic 12 People are angry at government for failing to track illegals: Opposes topic 12 Problems with McCain-Kennedy: credibility; secrecy; spending: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Path to citizenship if illegals admit guilt & pay fine: Favors topic 12 Deport the illegal immigrants who don’t do it the right way: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Seal the borders in a responsible way: Opposes topic 12 Share costs of legal immigration between states & federal: Neutral on topic 12 Federal government should deal with criminal repatriation: Neutral on topic 12 Import farm workers from Mexico: Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Supports NAFTA & CAFTA, if partners “hafta” abide by rules: Opposes topic 13 Fair trade includes lead-free products & playing by rules: Opposes topic 13 A free country must feed, fuel, & fight for itself: Opposes topic 13 We need fair trade because we’re losing jobs: Opposes topic 13 Trade sanctions on Saudi Arabia for persecuting Christians: Opposes topic 13 China trade contingent on human rights & product safety: Opposes topic 13 No NAFTA Superhighway from Canada to Mexico: Opposes topic 13 Marketplace pushes innovation to top & prices to bottom: Strongly Favors topic 13 Farm subsidies ok because Europe & Asia do same: Opposes topic 13 Enforce trade law against subsidized Canadian lumber imports: Favors topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-5 points on Social scale)	Fight terrorism by increasing spending on armed forces & CIA: Strongly Favors topic 15 Strength is more effective deterrent to war than weakness: Strongly Favors topic 15 We should go to war with the army that we need: Strongly Favors topic 15
Opposes topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (+2 points on Economic scale)	Fundamental difference with McCain on campaign finance: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Limit campaign contributions, but no public funding: Favors topic 16 Disclose political gifts, but don’t prohibit them: Strongly Opposes topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (-5 points on Social scale)	Use everything at president’s disposal to keep US safe: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Better to make mistakes at Guantanamo to protect Americans: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Strength is more effective deterrent to war than weakness: Opposes topic 14 Keeping Guantanamo prisoners more important than location: Opposes topic 14
Strongly Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq & Afghanistan (-5 points on Social scale)	Don’t second-guess Iraq; pullout would be bigger mistake: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Failing to find the WMDs doesn’t mean they weren’t there: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Many don’t comprehend the threat: they want our obliteration: Opposes topic 17 We made Saudis rich; pressure them to help win with honor: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Don’t judge Iraq war while we’re in the middle of the war: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Iraq war has made us overlook domestic agenda: Favors topic 17 Opposing Bush’s troop surge is a dangerous position: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Make sure we finish the job in Iraq and finish it right: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Include states in anti-terrorism planning: Neutral on topic 17