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)	No criminalization of a woman's right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1 Partial-birth abortion ban undermine women's right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1 Kerry staunchly resists restrictions on abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1 No undoing Constitutional rights, including right of choice: Strongly Favors topic 1 Life begins at conception, but we can't legislate that: Opposes topic 1 Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record: Strongly Favors topic 1 Expand embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance: Strongly Favors topic 1 Sponsored bill providing contraceptives for low-income women: Favors topic 1 Sponsored bill for emergency contraception for rape victims: Favors topic 1 Provide emergency contraception at military facilities: Favors topic 1 Protect the reproductive rights of women: Strongly Favors topic 1 Ensure access to and funding for contraception: Favors topic 1 Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception: Favors topic 1 Emergency contraception at all military health facilities: Strongly Favors topic 1 Teach teens about both abstinence & contraception: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Questions the ultimate practicality of affirmative action: Opposes topic 2 Supports affirmative action now and into the future: Strongly Favors topic 2 Shift from group preferences to economic empowerment of all: Neutral on topic 2 Add 10% for HUBZone businesses in federal awards: Favors topic 2 Increase subsidies for women-owned non-profit business: Strongly Favors topic 2 Sponsored bill for a Rosa Parks commemorative postage stamp: Favors topic 2 Rated 100% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Favors topic 2 Recognize Juneteenth as historical end of slavery: Strongly Favors topic 2 Increase funding for occupational & physical therapy: Favors topic 2 Constitutional Amendment for women's equal rights: Strongly Favors topic 2 Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 2 Reinforce anti-discrimination and equal-pay requirements: Favors topic 2 Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue: Favors topic 2 Stronger enforcement against gender-based pay discrimination: Favors topic 2 Honor the 100th anniversary of the NAACP: Favors topic 2
Favors topic 3: Support transgender and LGBTQ+ rights (+2 points on Social scale)	For partnership rights and civil union: Strongly Favors topic 3 Opposes Massachusetts DOMA since there's a federal DOMA: Opposes topic 3 Defense of Marriage Act is fundamentally ugly: Strongly Favors topic 3 Personally believes marriage is between a man & a woman: Opposes topic 3 Provide gays and lesbians with full coverage of civil rights: Favors topic 3 2004: Agreed with people of Missouri on banning gay marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3 Increase funding to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic: Strongly Favors topic 3 Rated 100% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance: Strongly Favors topic 3 ENDA: prohibit employment discrimination for gays: Favors topic 3 Repeal Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell, and reinstate discharged gays: Favors topic 3 Prohibit sexual-identity discrimination at schools: Strongly Favors topic 3 Provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees: Strongly Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: America was founded on Christian values (+2 points on Social scale)	We need to do more to link good work with faith: Favors topic 4 Persecuted Catholics rely on church-state separation: Opposes topic 4 Rated 0% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-Family-Value voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Sex Ed including both abstinence and contraception: Opposes topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Cover more citizens with health plan like Congress gets: Strongly Favors topic 5 Lack of accessible health care is a disgrace: Favors topic 5 Catastrophic health coverage for all costs over $50,000: Favors topic 5 Health care is not a privilege but a right for all: Favors topic 5 Cut $350B of bureaucracy and cover 90% of Americans: Favors topic 5 It is morally wrong to leave so many Americans uninsured: Favors topic 5 Start providing health insurance for every child in America: Strongly Favors topic 5 Find common ground to cover 11 million uninsured children: Strongly Favors topic 5 Fight for affordable health care for all children: Strongly Favors topic 5 Establish "report cards" on HMO quality of care: Favors topic 5 Invest funds to alleviate the nursing shortage: Favors topic 5 Rated 100% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly Favors topic 5 Let states make bulk Rx purchases, and other innovations: Favors topic 5 Preserve access to Medicaid & SCHIP during economic downturn: Strongly Favors topic 5 Disclose payments from manufacturers to physicians: Favors topic 5 Expand the National Health Service Corps: Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Don't threaten Social Security on Wall Street trading block: Opposes topic 6 I will never privatize, extend retirement age, nor cut SS: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Will not privatize Social Security nor cut benefits: Opposes topic 6 Personal retirement accounts are an invitation to disaster: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Create Retirement Savings Accounts: Favors topic 6 Rated 100% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Vouchers drain resources from public schools: Opposes topic 7 Stop viewing charter schools as threatening innovation: Favors topic 7 Nothing good about vouchers can't be done in public schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Nothing good about vouchers can't be done in public schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice: Opposes topic 7 Rated 100% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Businesses have a right to pollute (+5 points on Social scale)	Global Warming as "hoax" is funded by Big Oil & GOP: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Safeguard the environment and grow the economy: Opposes topic 8 Make environmental justice an EPA priority: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Live by "Precautionary Principle": first, do no harm: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Technological advances make environmental progress cheap: Strongly Opposes topic 8 End commercial whaling and illegal trade in whale meat: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Support UNCED Rio Declaration at 2002 conference: Opposes topic 8 Rated 53% by the LCV, indicating a mixed record on environment: Neutral on topic 8 EPA must do better on mercury clean-up: Opposes topic 8 Grants for beach water pollution under Clean Water Act: Opposes topic 8 Regulate all dog breeders down to kennels of 50 dogs: Opposes topic 8 Prohibit invasive research on great apes: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Sponsored ban on breeding or possessing Big Cat species: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Fund projects for international conservation of cranes: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Fund studies of invasive species and algal blooms: Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Moratorium on federal executions-only exception is terrorism: Opposes topic 9 States should not engage in killing-too many mistakes: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Opposes death penalty except for post 9-11 terrorists: Favors topic 9 A state doesn't honor life by sanctioning killing: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Rated 63% by CURE, indicating mixed votes on rehabilitation: Neutral on topic 9 Require DNA testing for all federal executions: Opposes topic 9 Increase funding for "COPS ON THE BEAT" program: Opposes topic 9 Reduce recidivism by giving offenders a Second Chance: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Facilitate recovering crime victim restitution fees: Strongly Favors topic 9 Rated 0% by the NAPO, indicating a police-the-police stance: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Democratic Party shouldn't be for the NRA: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Supports assault weapons ban & Brady Bill: Opposes topic 10 Gun owner & hunter, but rights come with responsibility: Favors topic 10 Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology: Opposes topic 10 Rated F by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Close the Gun Show Loophole; restrict show sales: Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	No excuse for special tax cuts for the rich: Strongly Favors topic 11 Base policy on broad growth and progressive taxation: Strongly Favors topic 11 We're tired of being trickled on--Middle class tax cuts now: Strongly Favors topic 11 Bush tax cuts reach 32 million in middle class: Strongly Opposes topic 11 They're not Bush tax cuts, they're Democrat tax cuts: Strongly Opposes topic 11 GOP tax policy comforts the comfortable: Favors topic 11 More tax cuts for people who make less than $200,000: Favors topic 11 Offer tax cuts that will help the middle class families: Favors topic 11 Trade a tax cut for the huge cuts in student loans: Strongly Favors topic 11 Abolishing state income tax would be calamitous: Strongly Favors topic 11 Rated 14% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Favors topic 11 Rated 100% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation: Strongly Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Amnesty to anyone here over 5 or 6 years: Strongly Favors topic 12 Earned legalization for undocumented immigrants: Favors topic 12 Restore immigrant benefits lost in 1996 welfare reform: Strongly Favors topic 12 Temporary workers ok, and earned amnesty ok: Strongly Favors topic 12 Committed to increasing number of refugees that we take: Strongly Favors topic 12 Comprehensive immigration reform without amnesty: Strongly Favors topic 12 Cover child resident aliens under Medicaid and SCHIP: Favors topic 12 Rated 0% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance: Strongly Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Veto FTAA and CAFTA until they have stronger standards: Opposes topic 13 Trade grows jobs: Strongly Favors topic 13 Build a rule-based global trading system: Favors topic 13 Rated 33% by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues: Neutral on topic 13 Rated 63% by the USAE, indicating a mixed record on trade: Neutral on topic 13
Opposes topic 14: Stay away from the UN & Globalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	Bush is sending mixed messages to South Korea: Opposes topic 14 Take notice of political oppression in Russia: Opposes topic 14 No nation will ever have a veto over us: Favors topic 14 Trump turned world of respect into world of chaos: Strongly Opposes topic 14 2013: The era of the Monroe Doctrine is over: Strongly Favors topic 14 Don't miss 3rd opportunity in Iraq to bring in UN: Strongly Opposes topic 14 I'd vote to authorize war, but with allies: Strongly Opposes topic 14 US actions in Vietnam were counter to Geneva Conventions: Strongly Opposes topic 14 More foreign languages courses and exchange students: Opposes topic 14 Restore habeas corpus for detainees in the War on Terror: Opposes topic 14
Favors topic 15: Peace through Strength (-3 points on Social scale)	Increase military by 40,000 troops-but no draft: Favors topic 15 Zell: Kerry voted against weapons needed for War on Terror: Strongly Opposes topic 15 $87B for Iraq only when internationalization is addressed: Favors topic 15 Bring allies to share our burden in fighting terrorism: Opposes topic 15 Voted against a $87 billion supplemental that hurts veterans: Opposes topic 15 Rated 20% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record: Strongly Favors topic 15 Extend reserve retirement pay parity back to 9/11: Favors topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Require full disclosure of independent campaign expenditures: Strongly Favors topic 16 Prohibit 'voter caging' which intimidates minority voting: Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Stay out of foreign wars (+2 points on Social scale)	Supports multilateral cooperative internationalism: Strongly Favors topic 17 America should lead by extending a hand, not a fist: Strongly Favors topic 17 Preemptive strike must pass a global test: Strongly Favors topic 17 The President deceived the people with this war: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Co-founded US-China Climate Change Working Group: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Get US more deeply involved in Arab-Israeli peace process: Strongly Favors topic 17 Regrets nothing more that his 2002 vote for Iraq War: Strongly Favors topic 17 War in Iraq was founded & perpetuated on lies, like Vietnam: Strongly Favors topic 17 We stood up to Bush's aimless and failed course in Iraq: Strongly Favors topic 17 Based vote for Iraq war on CIA's intelligence reports: Opposes topic 17 1998: respond militarily to Saddam's threat of WMDs: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Nothing in Vietnam realistically threatened America: Strongly Favors topic 17 Change calculation in Syria by enforcing ceasefires: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Use of force to respond to Syrian sarin gas attacks: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Progressive Internationalism: globalize with US pre-eminence: Favors topic 17 Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine: Strongly Favors topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Led effort to try to raise fuel efficiency standards: Strongly Favors topic 18 Invest in advancing secure forms of energy instead of oil: Strongly Favors topic 18 Invent our way out of oil dependency-don't drill our way out: Favors topic 18 20% renewable energy by 2020: Strongly Favors topic 18 Avoid Senate votes on voluntary emissions reductions: Favors topic 18 First on National Security Council to work on climate change: Strongly Favors topic 18 Net carbon neutral by 2050; must lay out path to get there: Strongly Favors topic 18 Secured agreement to phase down use of super-pollutant HFC: Strongly Favors topic 18 Advised fund setting global price for carbon emissions: Strongly Favors topic 18 $3B in tax credits to spur hybrid vehicle development: Strongly Favors topic 18 Supports tradable emissions permits for greenhouse gases: Favors topic 18 Reduce liability for hazardous waste cleanup: Opposes topic 18 Include pickup trucks in CAFE; include hybrids in HOV lanes: Favors topic 18 Keep climate change in EPA "State of the Environment" report: Favors topic 18 Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 100% by the CAF, indicating support for energy independence: Favors topic 18 Sign on to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: Strongly Favors topic 18 Designate sensitive ANWR area as protected wilderness: Favors topic 18 Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18 Let states define stricter-than-federal emission standards: Strongly Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+2 points on Social scale)	1986: Nicaraguan Contras support network of drug trafficking: Opposes topic 19 End harsher sentencing for crack vs. powder cocaine: Opposes topic 19 Require chemical resellers to certify against meth use: Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	We can do better on economy--lift people out of poverty: Strongly Favors topic 20 Base policy on broad growth and progressive taxation: Favors topic 20 Restore pay-as-you-go for fiscal discipline: Opposes topic 20 Raise minimum wage to $6.65 by next year, then higher: Strongly Favors topic 20 End tax incentives for companies to move jobs abroad: Favors topic 20 Homeland security should come before tax cut for the wealthy: Favors topic 20 Desperate need to build more affordable housing: Strongly Favors topic 20 Raise the minimum wage and training fund to help the poor: Strongly Favors topic 20 Increase SBA loan subsidies for small businesses: Favors topic 20 Expand microloans to small businesses: Favors topic 20 Rated 80% by UFCW, indicating an anti-management/pro-labor record: Favors topic 20

John Kerry is a Hard-Core Liberal
(Click for details)

Click here for VoteMatch quiz.