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)	Life begins at conception: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Ban cloning - science should not play God: Opposes topic 1 Embryonic stem cell research no; umbilical stem cells yes: Opposes topic 1 Opposes both federal abortion funding & judicial activism: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Supports prohibiting human embryonic stem cell research: Opposes topic 1 Opposes public abortion funding: Opposes topic 1 Opposes churches providing birth control: Opposes topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	Reduce government regulation of private sector employment: Opposes topic 2
Strongly Opposes topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (-5 points on Social scale)	Marriage is between a man and a woman: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Supports Amendment to prevent same sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Supports a DOMA amendment: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Supports banning military gay marriage: Opposes topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-5 points on Social scale)	Direct federal poverty aid through religious organizations: Strongly Favors topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+5 points on Economic scale)	ObamaCare relies on poor business model; use private-sector: Strongly Opposes topic 5 ObamaCare is the problem, not the solution: Strongly Opposes topic 5 ObamaCare is pure, unadulterated socialism: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Free market is best approach for affordable health care: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Supports Health Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 5 Opposes government-run healthcare: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Supports repealing ObamaCare: Strongly Opposes topic 5
Strongly Favors topic 6: Privatize Social Security (+5 points on Economic scale)	Self-investing in private accounts ok: Favors topic 6 Supports private retirement accounts: Strongly Favors topic 6
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Competition is what's good for education: Strongly Favors topic 7 Allow families a voucher to send kids to private schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers ok for public, private, & religious schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers let all families choose like wealthy families: Strongly Favors topic 7 Break education monopoly; competition will improve schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Supports education vouchers for public or private school: Strongly Favors topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (-5 points on Social scale)	Abolish the EPA & the Department of Energy: Strongly Favors topic 8
Strongly Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-5 points on Social scale)	Supports death penalty for federal crimes: Strongly Favors topic 9 Prosecute violent minors as adults: Favors topic 9 Supports capital punishment for certain crimes: Strongly Favors topic 9
Strongly Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+5 points on Economic scale)	Disarming citizens makes them less safe: Strongly Favors topic 10 Opposes restrictions on the right to bear arms: Strongly Favors topic 10 Opposes restricting the Second Amendment: Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Don't choke a fragile economy with a bigger tax burden: Opposes topic 11 Roll back regulations to spur business and job growth: Opposes topic 11 Supports tax cuts to spur economic growth and job growth: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Supports flat tax or national sales tax: Opposes topic 11 Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Opposes both marriage penalty & federal tax increases: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Opposes increasing tax rates: Opposes topic 11 Supports eliminating the inheritance tax: Opposes topic 11
Strongly Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-5 points on Social scale)	Oppose amnesty; patrol borders; establish official English: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Suports NAFTA, CAFTA, and GATT: Strongly Favors topic 13
No opinion on topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	We were weak on 9/11 & we must never allow that again: Strongly Favors topic 15
Opposes topic 16: Make voter registration easier (-3 points on Social scale)	Increase limits on donations to political campaigns: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Signed term limit pledge: 6 years House; 12 years Senate: Favors topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-5 points on Social scale)	Iraq exit strategy: We win, they lose: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Don’t cut-and-run in Iraq: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Strongly Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+5 points on Economic scale)	2010 alternative energy bill was WV's own cap-and-trade Bill: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Obama administration has caused decline of coal: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Global warming is a myth: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Hands-off approach to energy production: Opposes topic 18 Develop oil & coal; drill ANWR: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs: Strongly Favors topic 19
Strongly Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	OpEd: Sounded alarm in 2010 on international competitiveness: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Constitutional amendment requiring balanced budget: Opposes topic 20 Make tax cuts permanent, even for earners over $250K: Strongly Opposes topic 20