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)	Fund stem cell research on existing & new embryonic lines: Favors topic 1 Agreed with NARAL on 16 pro-choice votes; absent on other 7: Strongly Favors topic 1 Any abortion decision should remain between woman & doctor: Strongly Favors topic 1 Stem Cell research should not be limited: Favors topic 1
Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	$30 billion per year for National Reparations Trust Fund: Strongly Favors topic 2 Discontinue public college & government affirmative action: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Racism still with us in the 21st century: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Include sexual orientation & gender identity as civil rights: Strongly Favors topic 3 By next election, gay marriage could win a popular vote: Strongly Favors topic 3 Civil union establish second-class citizenship for gays: Strongly Favors topic 3 Don’t ask don’t tell should have gone 20 years ago: Strongly Favors topic 3 Unequivocally supports same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+2 points on Social scale)	No position on separation of church & state: Neutral on topic 4 No position on faith-based initiatives: Neutral on topic 4 Citizens Wage: $5000 income from feds to banish poverty: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	VA4A: Veterans Administration healthcare for all: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand Medicare coverage & child healthcare programs: Strongly Favors topic 5 Universal coverage with guaranteed equal care: Strongly Favors topic 5 Everybody should have the same health care: Favors topic 5 End subsidization of the insurance companies: Favors topic 5 Single-payer health care plan via vouchers you can add to: Strongly Favors topic 5 Citizen Power includes universal health care: Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Put real money in the Trust Fund & invest it properly: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+2 points on Economic scale)	Delink property taxes to equalize education funding: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Supports vouchers, charters, and magnet schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Citizen Power includes school vouchers: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers are innovative & imaginative--let’s experiment: Strongly Favors topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	Eliminate all single-use plastics: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Strengthen Clean Water Act & Clean Air Act: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Sponsored bill allowing tax deduction for recycling costs: Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+5 points on Social scale)	Decriminalize all commercial sex work: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Ban cash bail: it only benefits the rich: Strongly Opposes topic 9 No one deserves to be put to death by the state: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Eliminate the federal death penalty: Strongly Opposes topic 9 If you don’t have any money, you don’t get any justice: Opposes topic 9 Eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing laws: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Citizen Power includes abolition of the death penalty: Strongly Opposes topic 9 More jails don’t cut crime--must address poverty instead: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	License for concealed carry; teach firearms safety: Opposes topic 10 Require license & training for gun ownership: Opposes topic 10
Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+2 points on Economic scale)	Progressive tax: 60% at $1 million, and up from there: Strongly Favors topic 11 I advocate a FairTax: pay as you spend: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Tax code is corrupt & serves the wealthy: Favors topic 11 Wipe out the income tax! -- it’s regressive: Opposes topic 11 National sales tax; no exceptions; prebates for essentials: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Supports a national sales tax to replace IRS: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal the income tax and close down the IRS: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Less regressive tax on poor; more capital gains on rich: Strongly Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Open borders except for criminals escaping the law: Strongly Favors topic 12 Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working here: Strongly Favors topic 12 Immigration issue is national scapegoating: Strongly Favors topic 12 Embarrassed at building a wall on southern border: Strongly Favors topic 12 Make whole country a sanctuary city: Strongly Favors topic 12 I’m ashamed that we’re building a fence on southern border: Strongly Favors topic 12 Make English the official language of the US: Opposes topic 12 Illegal immigrants come here for jobs; don’t deport them: Strongly Favors topic 12 Nativists who want to fence us in are dead wrong: No opin. on topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	No sanctions on China or Venezuela, but no trade agreements: Opposes topic 13 CAFTA & NAFTA cause unemployment in Mexico & Central America: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Trade agreements only benefit shareholders: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Tariffs on China could spur worldwide economic downturn: Favors topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-5 points on Economic scale)	No "America alone": re-engage with multilateral institutions: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Bring critique of American imperialism to Democratic primary: Strongly Opposes topic 14 US should empower UN with stand-by peace force: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Strongly Opposes topic 15: Expand the military (+5 points on Social scale)	Filibustered to end the military draft: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Cut military budget by 50%, close all military bases abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 15 America will be safer without nukes: end "nuclear deterrent": Strongly Opposes topic 15 Bring 138,000 US troops home from 800 bases abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 15 1969: Opposed early ABM anti-missile systems: Opposes topic 15 No additional homeland security funding; no missile defense: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Enormous misappropriation of wealth to military programs: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Warfare state from Vietnam now expanded to include Iraq War: Strongly Opposes topic 15 US has nothing to fear; fear sustains the military complex: Opposes topic 15 Cut Pentagon by more than 15%; we’re squandering money: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Cut US nuclear arsenal from 10,000 to a couple hundred: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Cut military budget in half--we don’t need such “readiness”: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Presidential imperialism feeds the arms industry: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Replace Electoral College with direct election of President: Strongly Favors topic 16 Ranked choice voting replaces "lesser of two evils": Strongly Favors topic 16 Public taxpayer funding for federal candidates: Strongly Favors topic 16 Asks candidates to pledge to use existing public finance law: Strongly Favors topic 16 I’ve got no money; of course I’m for campaign finance reform: Favors topic 16 Start with public financing of campaigns: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+5 points on Social scale)	Withdraw all troops from South Korea; normalize with North: Strongly Favors topic 17 2020 debates desperately need an anti-war voice: Strongly Favors topic 17 1971: end Vietnam involvement; 2008: end Mideast involvement: Strongly Favors topic 17 Fighting terrorism with a war doesn’t work: Favors topic 17 Election was mandate for peace but carnage continues for oil: Strongly Favors topic 17 Remove power to declare war from Congress-they’ve abdicated: Strongly Favors topic 17 End military aid to Saudi Arabia; no support for Yemen war: Strongly Favors topic 17 2008: searing indictment of Democratic support of Iraq war: Strongly Favors topic 17 Opposed war in Iraq before it even began: Strongly Favors topic 17 Dislodge ourselves from Iraq, by working with Iran & Syria: Strongly Favors topic 17 Soldiers in Iraq are dying in vain; so just get out: Strongly Favors topic 17 Iraq war was lost the day Bush invaded-make it illegal: Strongly Favors topic 17 Immediate withdrawal from the war in Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 Commence an immediate and orderly withdrawal from Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Support carbon tax and Green New Deal: Strongly Favors topic 18 Institute a tax on oil: Strongly Favors topic 18 Carbon tax can get us off of gasoline in 5 years: Strongly Favors topic 18 Make Global Warming a matter of national security: Strongly Favors topic 18 Immediately sign the Kyoto protocol: Strongly Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+5 points on Social scale)	Proposed a Constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Legalize & regulate all drugs, including opioids: Strongly Opposes topic 19 War on drugs is a total failure: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Allow buying marijuana at liquor stores: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Decriminalize hard drugs so we can treat addicts: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Drugs are public health issue, not criminal issue: Strongly Opposes topic 19 War on drugs loses an entire generation to our prisons: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Legalize the use and possession of marijuana: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Stop punishment for victimless crimes: drugs, sex & gambling: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Support unionization; raise federal minimum wage: Strongly Favors topic 20 Purpose of economy is to meet people’s needs, not business: Strongly Favors topic 20