Mark Takai on VoteMatch

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)	Faithful defender of a woman's right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1 Supports public funding of abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1 Supports abortion rights, according to Faith2Action: Favors topic 1 Supports abortion rights, according to PVS rating: Favors topic 1 Access safe, legal abortion without restrictions: Strongly Favors topic 1 Rated Funding abortion avoids discrimination against poor women: Strongly Favors topic 1 Rated Constitutional right to terminate pregnancy for health: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Equal pay for equal work for men and women: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Support ENDA; oppose DOMA; yes to LGBT marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Opposes barring same sex marriage (Christian Coalition rating): Strongly Favors topic 3 Supports homosexual civil rights: Favors topic 3 Supports same-sex marriage, according to Faith2Action: Strongly Favors topic 3 Supports same-sex marriage, according to PVS rating: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+5 points on Social scale)	Religious freedom means no religious registry: Strongly Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Opposes repealing Obamacare: Favors topic 5 Rated GOP can't beat ObamaCare, so they pretend it's a "disaster": Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Keep our promises; raise the payroll tax cap: Opposes topic 6 Opposes personal retirement accounts, rated by Faith2Action: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Opposes personal retirement accounts, according to PVS rating: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Invest in our public schools with federal funds: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Rated No-strings-attached block grant will kill transparency: Opposes topic 7 Rated Oppose private and religious school voucher programs: Strongly Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	Endorsed Endorsed by LCV; supports conservation efforts: Strongly Opposes topic 8
No opinion on topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	No military-grade weapons in homes; ban them: Opposes topic 10 Supports restricting right to bear arms (Christian Coalition): Strongly Opposes topic 10 Supports restricting guns, according to Faith2Action: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Supports restricting guns, according to PVS rating: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	End tax breaks for largest oil and drug companies: Favors topic 11 Supports increasing federal income taxes: Strongly Favors topic 11 Rated Raising estate tax to 1990s level means $448B in new revenue: Strongly Opposes topic 11
No opinion on topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 13: Support & expand free trade (0 points on Economic scale)	Reject free trade deals that don't protect American jobs: Strongly Opposes topic 13 $25B more loans from Export-Import Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13
No opinion on topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-3 points on Social scale)	Tax credits for companies that hire veterans: Strongly Favors topic 15 Cut defense responsibly, not across-the-board: Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Public financing of federal campaigns by voter vouchers: Favors topic 16 Statehood for the District of Columbia: Favors topic 16 Automatic voter registration for all citizens: Strongly Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+2 points on Social scale)	Iraq War fought partly because of dependence on foreign oil: Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Invest in alternative energy, including wind and solar: Strongly Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+5 points on Social scale)	Rated B by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Immunity for banks offering services to marijuana businesses: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Rebuild transportation and communications infrastructure: Strongly Favors topic 20