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)
Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (-3 points on Social scale)	Find non-life-ending options for ending a pregnancy: Strongly Opposes topic 1 It's not a woman's choice whether baby lives or dies: Strongly Opposes topic 1 The baby's body is not the woman's body; provide new options: Neutral on topic 1 Woman's choice over her body, but not partial birth abortion: Favors topic 1 Focus on alternatives: birth control & adoption: Favors topic 1 Pro-life, but it's the woman's right to choose: Favors topic 1
Strongly Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+5 points on Economic scale)	The term "minority" should never be needed: Opposes topic 2 Other approach to hiring more women & minorities: Strongly Opposes topic 2 Empower women & minorities but no affirmative action: Opposes topic 2
Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+2 points on Social scale)	No same-sex adoption; don't condone homosexual behavior: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Favors same-sex domestic partnership benefits: Favors topic 3 I fully support same-sex domestic partnerships: Strongly Favors topic 3 Marriage is a state and local issue: Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (+2 points on Social scale)	Strongly opposes teacher-led prayer in public schools: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Favors allowing churches to provide welfare services: Favors topic 4 Unfair to turn our schools into pulpit for any religion: Opposes topic 4 We shouldn't NEED welfare; but let churches provide it: Favors topic 4
Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-3 points on Economic scale)	Health care should be free for everyone and focus on HEALTH: Strongly Favors topic 5 Make society's best interest to help people be healthy: Neutral on topic 5 More funding for health coverage, but change model: Favors topic 5 More funding for health coverage, but change model: Favors topic 5
Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-3 points on Economic scale)	Communitize instead of statism or privatization: Neutral on topic 6 Make Social Security a non-profit system: Opposes topic 6 Privatization opens up Americans to the wolves: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-3 points on Economic scale)	Communitize instead of government control or privatization: Neutral on topic 7 No privatization of education: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: No 'rights' to clean air and water (+5 points on Social scale)	We are the stewards of this planet: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Stop the profit-driven destruction of the planet: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Strongly Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+5 points on Social scale)	Transform prisons so they help people reform: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Strongly oppose mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Address the root causes of crime, rather than Three Strikes: Opposes topic 9 Killing is no "payment" for a crime, not even a murder: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	2nd Amendment deters tyranny; not just self-defense: Strongly Favors topic 10 Favors absolute right to gun ownership: Favors topic 10 Support 2nd amendment but we shouldn't need it: Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	No federal taxation, period: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Strongly opposes making taxes more progressive: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Don't increase personal federal taxes in any way: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Make immigration more welcoming and helpful: Strongly Favors topic 12 Treat immigrants like people regardless of where born: Strongly Favors topic 12 Train immigrants coming to America to speak English fluently: Strongly Opposes topic 12 No more lottery; just invite everyone who wants to come: Strongly Favors topic 12 Hard stance on companies hiring illegal immigrants: Opposes topic 12 Strongly supports illegal immigrants earning citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12 Change Dream Act so everyone wins: Favors topic 12 Build arcologies at the borders that serve as fences: Opposes topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Eliminate ALL barriers to free trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 Strongly supports expanding free trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 Free trade with the full involvement of the people: Favors topic 13
No opinion on topic 14: Maintain US sovereignty from UN (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-3 points on Social scale)	Shift military from oil police to homeland defenders: Strongly Opposes topic 15 Shift focus away from conquest: Neutral on topic 15 Expand armed forces with shifted focus: Favors topic 15 Expand the military in smart directions: Strongly Favors topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: More enforcement of the right to vote (+5 points on Social scale)	Remove corporate personhood: Strongly Favors topic 16 Strongly favors stricter limits on political campaign funds: Strongly Favors topic 16 No corporate campaign donations of any kind: Strongly Favors topic 16 Elections should be 100% free, not for the wealthy: Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Stay out of Iran (+5 points on Social scale)	Be helpers, not conquerors: Strongly Favors topic 17 Be about peace and the world will follow: Strongly Favors topic 17 Strongly favors US out of Iraq & Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17 US out of Iraq and Afghanistan, immediately: Strongly Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Sever our ties to oil; advance solar technology: Strongly Favors topic 18 Strongly favors replacing coal & oil with alternatives: Strongly Favors topic 18 Replace coal & oil with alternatives: Strongly Favors topic 18
Strongly Opposes topic 19: Never legalize marijuana (+5 points on Social scale)	No victim, no crime: Legalize marijuana: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Strongly opposes enforce laws against immoral drug use: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Drug use isn't immoral, though it's unintelligent: Opposes topic 19
No opinion on topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)