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)
Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (+2 points on Social scale)	I never supported a Personhood amendment: Favors topic 1 Sell contraceptives over-the-counter to avoid Hobby Lobby: Favors topic 1 Opposes abortion: Opposes topic 1 Promoting culture of life does not make me Taliban: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Believes deeply in the sanctity of life: Strongly Favors topic 1
Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-3 points on Economic scale)	Increase share of African-American vote in midterm elections: Favors topic 2 OpEd: Lobbied for company that paid women 39% less than men: Opposes topic 2 Accused of minority outreach? Guilty as charged: Favors topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-5 points on Social scale)	Maintain state same-sex marriage ban, but leave it to states: Favors topic 3 Marriage is the legal union of one man and one woman: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Courts should not encroach on definition of marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Deciding marriage at state level is not gay-bashing: Strongly Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-5 points on Social scale)	We spend $12 on safe sex ed for every $1 on abstinence: Favors topic 4 I am tired of having my religious convictions scorned: Strongly Favors topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+5 points on Economic scale)	Benefits from GOP resistance to the new health law: Opposes topic 5 1993: HillaryCare bureaucracy meant job-killing mandates: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Market principles: portability & tort reform: Opposes topic 5 Broken medical liability system costs $28B per year: Opposes topic 5
Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+2 points on Economic scale)	Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings: Favors topic 6
No opinion on topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (-3 points on Social scale)	OpEd: Lobbied for company that received 50 EPA warnings: Favors topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	More prisons, more enforcement, effective death penalty: Favors topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Fight UN gun ban treaty, & fight bans on guns or ammunition: Strongly Favors topic 10 Revere 2nd Amendment as much as 1st Amendment: Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Decrease state's personal income tax rate to spur growth: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Use 40% of projected revenue growth for tax relief: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Believes in conservative ideas of lower taxes: Opposes topic 11 Death tax is an egregious aspect of our tax code: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes: Opposes topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-3 points on Social scale)	Send migrant kids back to parents in Central America: Opposes topic 12 Unapologetic supporter of comprehensive immigration overhaul: Favors topic 12 Pro-assimilation more than anti-immigration: Strongly Opposes topic 12 New temporary worker program after securing our border: Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Opposes the Export-Import Bank: Opposes topic 13 Aggressively open markets for exports: Strongly Favors topic 13 Lobbied to remove tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber: Favors topic 13
Strongly Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+5 points on Economic scale)	Emphasize American exceptionalism; a force for good in world: Strongly Favors topic 14 We should stand by Bush doctrine of pre-emption: Strongly Favors topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	Condemn deep and dangerous defense-budget cuts: Strongly Favors topic 15 2004: Kerry voted against many important weapons systems: Strongly Favors topic 15 No US troops under UN command; more defense spending: Favors topic 15
No opinion on topic 16: Make voter registration easier (0 points on Social scale)	2004: interpreted 527s (PACs) as illegal expenditures: Favors topic 16 Paid $27M in lobbying fees in early 2000s: Opposes topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-5 points on Social scale)	Keep troops in Afghanistan; military on table with Iran: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Foolish to say that Iran is not a serious threat: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Victory against Islamic terrorism must be our national goal: Strongly Opposes topic 17 As Bush spokesperson, defended Iraqi surge & al Qaeda link: Strongly Opposes topic 17 1984: Threat of Communism drove me to Reagan: Opposes topic 17 Bush was insightful and resolute in War on Terror: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Fight War on Terror in Kabul or it will be waged in Kansas: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Sea levels are rising, but it's debatable what causes it: Opposes topic 18 Democrats' energy policy is an attack on our quality of life: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-3 points on Social scale)	Opposes decriminalization, but align penalty to pot offense: Favors topic 19
Strongly Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	Budget-cutting is collective exercise in national interest: Strongly Opposes topic 20