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)	Need civil discussion between pro-life and pro-choice: Neutral on topic 1 I would love to see Roe v. Wade overturned: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Maybe exceptions for life of mother, not for rape or incest: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Was personally against abortion; but what others do matters: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Drugs OK to prevent conception in instances of rape & incest: Favors topic 1 Planned Parenthood historically targets black communities: Opposes topic 1 I spent my career saving the lives of little babies: Strongly Opposes topic 1 No abortion for convenience: Strongly Opposes topic 1 The thought of abortion for convenience is repugnant: Strongly Opposes topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	People can only afford to live in certain places: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Scrap HUD tool for racial discrimination in public housing: Opposes topic 2 Housing integration is ok, but why must residents solve it?: Opposes topic 2 Political correctness undermines Black Lives Matter movement: Opposes topic 2 Arrests for "Driving While Black" is common: Strongly Favors topic 2 Underdog status is not determined any longer by race: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Underdog status is no longer determined by race: Strongly Opposes topic 2
Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-3 points on Social scale)	Everyone gets the same rights; nobody gets extra rights: Opposes topic 3 Constitution protects gays equally, but not marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 I have nothing against gay people, but no marriage: Opposes topic 3 Homosexuality is a choice, but same-sex marriage is the law: Favors topic 3 Give gays rights, but not marriage, because it's a choice: Opposes topic 3 Marriage should not be extended to same-sex couples: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Redefining marriage is slippery slope with disastrous ending: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Legal binding relationship for gays to enjoy property rights: Favors topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-5 points on Social scale)	Islam is inconsistent with the Constitution: Strongly Favors topic 4 Charities better at providing for needy than the government: Strongly Favors topic 4 PC police make us afraid to say "Merry Christmas": Favors topic 4 End the "war on God": Strongly Favors topic 4 All religions provide beliefs that make us reasonable: Strongly Favors topic 4 National Day of Prayer is a suggestion, not a requirement: Strongly Favors topic 4
Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+2 points on Economic scale)	There's a strong connection between health and housing: Favors topic 5 Health empowerment accounts for families: Opposes topic 5 Health empowerment account for all on the day you're born: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Health savings accounts for families to buy health care: Opposes topic 5 Replace need for Medicare with HSAs & catastrophic insurance: Opposes topic 5 Free medical care to fix primary care deficit: Favors topic 5 Health Savings Accounts make insurance companies irrelevant: Opposes topic 5 Health Savings Accounts make Medicaid less relevant: Strongly Opposes topic 5 ObamaCare flies in the face of principles of America: Strongly Opposes topic 5 ObamaCare is analogous to slavery: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Obamacare is about restriction and control: Strongly Opposes topic 5 ObamaCare robs you of your ability to control your own life.: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Health savings account from birth; teach poor responsibility: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Fund HSAs for indigent from collected HSAs of the rest of us: Opposes topic 5 Two-tiered system ok as long as care is adequate: Opposes topic 5 Regulate insurance companies as non-profit services: Strongly Favors topic 5 Government responsibility for catastrophic coverage: Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Individuals responsible for pension; with federal supplement: Strongly Favors topic 6 Raise retirement age gradually; & forbid raiding Trust Fund: Favors topic 6 Each person should be responsible for their own pension: Strongly Favors topic 6 Gradually raise the age of eligibility for benefits: Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Incentivize the state to offer vouchers: Strongly Favors topic 7 Our public education system has become a propaganda system: Favors topic 7 Supports charter schools; supports local control: Strongly Favors topic 7 Supports homeschooling; supports teaching values: Favors topic 7 Education has power to lift families out of destitution: Opposes topic 7 Private schooling better than Common Core public schooling: Strongly Favors topic 7 School choice increases competitive nature of education: Strongly Favors topic 7
Favors topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (-3 points on Social scale)	Regulations cost small businesses $34,000 per employee: Favors topic 8 EPA must work with business; warming or cooling not relevant: Favors topic 8 Large cumbersome government needs to be deflated: Favors topic 8 Protecting environment logical for capitalists & socialists: Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Equip police with body cameras to avoid abusiveness: Opposes topic 9 Develop inner city resources to build alternatives to crime: Strongly Opposes topic 9 On Trayvon: It's not a perfect system, but is best we have: Opposes topic 9 Imagine the mayhem if all police protection were removed: Favors topic 9 Saudi Arabian solution: stiff penalties for medical fraud: Favors topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Keep 2nd amendment rights for people on terror watchlist: Strongly Favors topic 10 No limits to gun ownership, except in cases of insanity: Favors topic 10 2nd amendment critical in guarding against tyranny: Strongly Favors topic 10 Regard with suspicion anyone ignoring the Second Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 10 Law-abiding citizens have right to guns without registration: Strongly Favors topic 10 Extremely pro-2nd Amendment; never let anyone tamper with it: Strongly Favors topic 10 Semi-automatic weapons ok in countryside, but not cities: Opposes topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	The IRS is not honest and we need to get rid of them: Opposes topic 11 Taxes start at 150% of poverty level & some tax below that: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Cancel mortgage deduction and charitable deduction: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Tithing at 15%, plus removing all loopholes & waste: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Progressive taxation on the rich--that's socialism: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Flat tax of 10%-15% is fairest option, even for low-income: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Concentrate on incentivizing entrepreneurial risk taking: Opposes topic 11 IRS unneeded with proportional flat tax system: Strongly Opposes topic 11 God says tithe at 10%; no triple tithe for bumper crops: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Bible endorses flat tax--10% tithing: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Highest corporate tax rate causes highest national debt: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Nothing in Constitution supports redistributing wealth: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-3 points on Social scale)	Guest worker program; no citizenship for illegals: Opposes topic 12 Many immigrants are criminals from Iraq, Somalia and Russia: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Our southern border is so porous, anybody can get in: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Turn off the spigots, then allow agricultural guest workers: Favors topic 12 We have the ability to build a border wall, but not the will: Opposes topic 12 Use drones to destroy smuggler hide-outs on Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Moral low road to use cheap labor if no path to citizenship: Favors topic 12 Pathway to citizenship unfair to past & current immigrants: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Use Canadian model for guest worker program: Favors topic 12 Overwhelming majority want the southern border secured: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Strongly Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-5 points on Economic scale)	Stop severe trade imbalance via stiff tariffs: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Stop severe trade imbalance: Opposes topic 13
Favors topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (+2 points on Economic scale)	Our nation is heading off the abyss of destruction: Opposes topic 14 Focus on funding refugee camps; not bringing refugees to US: Favors topic 14 Corner Putin by arming Ukraine & reducing oil dependence: Strongly Favors topic 14 Taking in Middle Eastern refugees could be dangerous: Strongly Favors topic 14 Pinnacle nations before us contributed to their own demise: Opposes topic 14 Back Israel and follow what Netanyahu wants on Iran: Favors topic 14 Ban Ebola-infected people from entry; treat them elsewhere: Favors topic 14 US is exceptional, with different values than rest of world: Strongly Favors topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	Rebuild B52's, submarines, missiles: all three need upgrades: Strongly Favors topic 15 Beef up cyber capabilities; reinvigorate space program: Strongly Favors topic 15 Our armed forces are at smallest size in decades: Strongly Favors topic 15 Give the military the tools they need to meet our needs: Strongly Favors topic 15 Roman Empire fell because military was stretched too thin: Opposes topic 15
No opinion on topic 16: Make voter registration easier (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-3 points on Social scale)	Replacing Mideast dictators leads to chaos, like in Iraq: Favors topic 17 Political solution must accompany military solution in Syria: Favors topic 17 Continue to confront China in South China Sea: Opposes topic 17 Counter countries propping up Assad: Russia and Iran: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Maintain U.S. military presence in Afghanistan: Opposes topic 17 I opposed war in Iraq in 2003; then I opposed withdrawal: Opposes topic 17 Leave no doubt that we will stand with South Korea: Opposes topic 17 Military force is not off the table when it comes to Russia: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Shia-led Iran is more dangerous than ISIL: Opposes topic 17 Untie the military's hands; let them destroy ISIS: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Eradicate ISIS as quickly and efficiently as possible: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Ethical world leadership stops bullies with brutal force: Favors topic 17 Tyranny follows if we disarm nukes & madmen get them: Opposes topic 17 No right to assume that our way was right for 1960s Vietnam: Favors topic 17 Morality of war in Iraq was highly debatable: Favors topic 17 Better response than post-9-11 invasions: oil independence: Strongly Favors topic 17
Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+2 points on Economic scale)	Keep ethanol mandate; unfair to withdraw contracts: Favors topic 18 Change archaic exportation rules to send energy to Europe: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Smart way in Mideast is to declare energy independence: Favors topic 18 Climate debate is distracting and irrelevant: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Petroleum independence would deprive terrorists of funding: Favors topic 18 Intelligently tap our own resources offshore & in Alaska: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Change national narrative so fewer die from drugs: Favors topic 19 Addiction results from weakened values: Favors topic 19 Exposure to marijuana results in decreased IQ: Favors topic 19 Marijuana is a starter drug; keep barriers to hedonism: Strongly Favors topic 19 Intensify the War on Drugs at federal level: Strongly Favors topic 19 Maybe medical marijuana, but recreational use is a gateway: Strongly Favors topic 19 Marijuana for medical use, but not for recreational use: Opposes topic 19
Strongly Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	We have 645 federal agencies--that's way, way too many: Opposes topic 20 Raise debt ceiling, but ensure you won't have to do it again: Strongly Opposes topic 20 $18T national debt pales with $200T liability fiscal gap: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Release the economic engine; regulations fetter it down: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Let the economy work the way it's supposed to: Strongly Opposes topic 20 The free market works: Strongly Opposes topic 20

Ben Carson is a Hard-Core Conservative
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