Tom Ridge 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)
Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (+2 points on Social scale)	Pro-choice: Favors topic 1 Allow abortions, with limits; no partial-birth: Favors topic 1
No opinion on topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (0 points on Economic scale)	Opposes Affirmative Action: Opposes topic 2 Support principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment: Favors topic 2
No opinion on topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (0 points on Social scale)	No special gay laws; no gay marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Overturn CA Prop. 8: Let gays marry: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-5 points on Social scale)	Able-bodied welfare recipients must work 100 hours a month: Favors topic 4 Teacher-led voluntary prayer is OK: Strongly Favors topic 4
Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+2 points on Economic scale)	Guaranteed medical care is not a government responsibility: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Protect state tobacco settlement funds from federal seizure: Neutral on topic 5
No opinion on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	Maintain federal Social Services Block Grant funding: Favors topic 6 Maintain long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare: Opposes topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	More standards, and make them clear: Favors topic 7 More charters; push for school choice: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers for private & religious schools: Strongly Favors topic 7
Favors topic 8: Society bears cost of pollution (-3 points on Social scale)	More state autonomy on brownfields & Superfund cleanups: Favors topic 8
Strongly Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports victim’s rights & death penalty: Strongly Favors topic 9 More prisons; more death penalty: Strongly Favors topic 9 Stricter penalties; less parole: Strongly Favors topic 9 Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs: Neutral on topic 9
No opinion on topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+2 points on Economic scale)	Cut taxes as governor by $2.6B: Opposes topic 11 60% legislative supermajority for raising taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 End computer service tax; start R&D tax credit: Opposes topic 11 No national sales tax or VAT: Neutral on topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	No amnesty, but a path to legitimate law-abiding aliens: Favors topic 12 New visa interview policy unwisely restricts immigration: Favors topic 12 New visa interview policy unwisely restricts immigration: Strongly Favors topic 12 Share costs of legal immigration between states & federal: Neutral on topic 12 Federal government should deal with criminal repatriation: Neutral on topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Closing borders post-9-11 dealt a crushing blow to trade: Favors topic 13 Increase global connections, even for small business: Strongly Favors topic 13
No opinion on topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 15: Expand the military (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 16: Make voter registration easier (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+2 points on Social scale)	Saddam did have WMDs, but no relationship with al Qaeda: Favors topic 17 Iraqi invasion justified to overthrow a despot: Strongly Favors topic 17 Include states in anti-terrorism planning: Neutral on topic 17
Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+2 points on Economic scale)	Comprehensive energy policy including nuclear & clean coal: Opposes topic 18 Changed rules & got 350 polluted industrial sites cleaned up: Favors topic 18 Let industries audit themselves & then clean up: Strongly Opposes topic 18 More flexibility in environmental regulation: Favors topic 18 Voluntary partnerships reduce greenhouse gases economically: Neutral on topic 18 Kyoto Treaty must include reductions by all countries: Opposes topic 18
Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-3 points on Social scale)	More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War: Favors 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)