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)
No opinion on topic 1: Abortion is a woman's right (0 points on Social scale)	Abortion before 8 weeks not OK, but shouldn’t be prohibited: Favors topic 1 Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided; good day when repealed: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Right to abortion in the first 8 to 12 weeks of pregnancy: Strongly Favors topic 1 Informed consent and 24-hour waiting period: Opposes topic 1
Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	More support for traditional African-American universities: Favors 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)	Rated “F” by National Review on pro-gay issues: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (-5 points on Social scale)	Moment of silence does not infringe on students’ rights: Strongly Favors topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 8: Death Penalty (-5 points on Social scale)	Declined to intervene in execution of Bobby Lee Ramdass: Favors topic 8 Executed foreign national despite international protests: Strongly Favors topic 8 Death penalty sets standard to not tolerate ghastly murders: Strongly Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (-3 points on Social scale)	Three strikes eligibility no grounds for stay of execution: Favors topic 9 Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs: Neutral on topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Supporter of 2nd Amendment rights; Americans can be trusted: Strongly Favors topic 10 More gun convictions means less violent crime: Opposes topic 10
Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-3 points on Economic scale)	$25M more for medical care for most vulnerable citizens: Favors topic 5
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+2 points on Economic scale)	Cap entitlements & create a culture of independence: Strongly Favors topic 6 Praises Bush leadership on Social Security reform: 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
Strongly Favors topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (+5 points on Economic scale)	Claims Warner said home-schooling threatens America: Strongly Favors topic 7 Calls for a voucher plan in Virginia schools: Strongly Favors topic 7
Opposes topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (+2 points on Economic scale)	US should seek alternative fuels but still drill for oil: Opposes topic 18 US greatest energy resource is coal: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Extend “Virginia Naturally”: empower people with knowledge: 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)	Provided more substance abuse treatment for drug offenders: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Illegal drugs are not an acceptable part of our society: Strongly Favors topic 19 More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War: Favors topic 19
Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+2 points on Economic scale)	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
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (+5 points on Economic scale)	Bush did the right thing with cutting taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Control spending, or higher taxes are certain: Opposes topic 11 Always followed a program of reducing taxes where possible: Strongly Opposes topic 11 End the Car Tax: Opposes topic 11 No national sales tax or VAT: Neutral on topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (-3 points on Social scale)	No amnesty for illegals; control the border: Strongly 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
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Enforce trade law against subsidized Canadian lumber imports: Favors topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-5 points on Social scale)	There will never be a 100% guarantee of security: Strongly Favors topic 15 Get homeland security money into hands of local governments: Strongly Favors 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)
Favors topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (+2 points on Social scale)	Never allow terrorists limit our commitment to liberty: Favors topic 14
Strongly Opposes topic 17: US out of Iraq (-5 points on Social scale)	Any kind of timetable in Iraq is not responsible: Strongly Opposes topic 17 No timeline for withdrawal from Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17 No troop increase without mission; but no timetable: Opposes topic 17 Bush’s steadfastness in Iraq is leadership in crisis: Strongly Opposes topic 17 UN supported US before war; let’s move beyond pre-war debate: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Iraq does not deplete localities of responders: Opposes topic 17 Include states in anti-terrorism planning: Neutral on topic 17