Barack Obama on SenateMatch

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 right (+5 points on Social scale)	Voted against banning partial birth abortion: Favors topic 1 Stem cells hold promise to cure 70 major diseases: Favors topic 1 Trust women to make own decisions on partial-birth abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1 Extend presumption of good faith to abortion protesters: Favors topic 1 Pass the Stem Cell Research Bill: Favors topic 1 Protect a woman's right to choose: Strongly Favors topic 1 Supports Roe v. Wade: Strongly Favors topic 1 Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance: Strongly Favors topic 1 YES on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives: Favors topic 1 NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions: Favors topic 1 YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Better enforce women's pay equity via Equal Pay Act: Strongly Favors topic 2 Racial equality good for America as a whole: Favors topic 2 Supports affirmative action in colleges and government: Strongly Favors topic 2 America's race and class problems are intertwined: Favors topic 2 Rated 100% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	We need strong civil unions, not just weak civil unions: Favors topic 3 Opposes gay marriage; supports civil union & gay equality: Favors topic 3 Marriage not a human right; non-discrimination is: Favors topic 3 Include sexual orientation in anti-discrimination laws: Favors topic 3 Rated 89% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance: Strongly Favors topic 3 NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (+2 points on Social scale)	Listening to evangelicals bridges major political fault line: Favors topic 4 Religious concerns ok, if translated into universal values: Opposes topic 4 Rated 100% by the AU, indicating support of church-state separation: Strongly Opposes topic 4 NO on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration: Opposes topic 4
Opposes topic 8: Death Penalty (+2 points on Social scale)	Some heinous crimes justify the ultimate punishment: Favors topic 8 Videotape all capital punishment interrogations: Opposes topic 8 Battles legislatively against the death penalty: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	Supports alternative sentencing and rehabilitation: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Rated 75% by the NCJA, indicating a mixed record on criminal justice: Neutral on topic 9 YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Keep guns out of inner cities--but also problem of morality: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Ban semi-automatics, and more possession restrictions: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-3 points on Economic scale)	Increase competition in the insurance and drug markets: Opposes topic 5 National Health Insurance Exchange for private coverage: Opposes topic 5 National insurance pool & catastrophic insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 The market alone can't solve our health-care woes: Favors topic 5 Crises happen in our lives and healthcare is necessary: Strongly Favors topic 5 Believes health care is a right, not a privilege for the few: Favors topic 5 Will expand health coverage & allow meds to be re-imported: Favors topic 5 Ensure access to basic care: Favors topic 5 YES on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics: Favors topic 5 YES on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D: Favors topic 5 YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Privatization puts retirement at whim of stock market: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Stop any efforts to privatize Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 No privatization; but consider earning cap over $97,500: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Stock market risk is ok, but not for Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 $2000 tax credit for Working Families Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 6 NO on establishing reserve funds & pre-funding for Social Security: Opposes topic 6
Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-3 points on Economic scale)	Guarantee affordable life-long, top-notch education: Opposes topic 7 Supports charter schools and private investment in schools: Favors topic 7 YES on $5B for grants to local educational agencies: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	3-way win: economy, environment, & stop funding terror: Strongly Favors topic 18 Sponsored legislations that improve energy efficiency: Favors topic 18 20% renewable energy by 2020: Strongly Favors topic 18 Invest in alternative energy sources: Favors topic 18 Increase CAFE to 40 mpg: Strongly Favors topic 18 Renewable Fuels Standard: require ethanol in fuel supply: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 100% by the CAF, indicating support for energy independence: Favors topic 18 YES on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%): Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Favors topic 18 YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning: Favors topic 18 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18
No opinion on topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (0 points on Social scale)	2001: questions harsh penalties for drug dealing: Opposes topic 19 Smokes cigarettes now; smoked some pot in high school: Favors topic 19 Admitted marijuana use in high school & college: Favors topic 19 Deal with street-level drug dealing as minimum-wage affair: Opposes topic 19
Favors topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (+2 points on Economic scale)	Reach out to faith community;faith has role in public square: Favors topic 20 Engages people of faith on all aspects of his public service: Favors topic 20 Black churches minister to social needs out of necessity: Favors topic 20
Strongly Favors topic 11: Repeal tax cuts on wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Bush tax cuts help corporations but not middle class: Strongly Favors topic 11 Tax cuts for the rich do not create jobs: Favors topic 11 Rated 100% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on $47B for military by repealing capital gains tax cut: Favors topic 11 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on permanently repealing the `death tax`: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million: Strongly Favors topic 11 NO on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax: Strongly Favors topic 11
Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+2 points on Social scale)	Support granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants: Favors topic 12 Reform must include more border security, and border wall: Opposes topic 12 Pathway to citizenship, but people have to earn it: Favors topic 12 Give immigrants who are here a rigorous path to citizenship: Favors topic 12 Extend welfare and Medicaid to immigrants: Favors topic 12 Rated 8% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on establishing a Guest Worker program: Favors topic 12 YES on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Opposes topic 12 NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government: Strongly Favors topic 12 YES on comprehensive immigration reform: Strongly Favors topic 12
Opposes topic 13: Support & expand free trade (-3 points on Economic scale)	Stand firm against CAFTA for labor & environmental standards: Strongly Opposes topic 13 People don't want cheaper T-shirts if it costs their job: Opposes topic 13 Amend NAFTA to add labor agreements: Opposes topic 13 Fair trade should have tangible benefits for US: Strongly Opposes topic 13 Tax incentives to create jobs at home instead of offshore: Opposes topic 13 NO on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on free trade agreement with Oman: Strongly Favors topic 13
Favors topic 15: Expand the armed forces (-3 points on Social scale)	Grow size of military to maintain rotation schedules: Favors topic 15 Give our soldiers the best equipment and training available: Favors topic 15 YES on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months: Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-5 points on Economic scale)	Public campaign financing with free television & radio time: Strongly Favors topic 16 No "bundled" money from federal-registered lobbyists: Favors topic 16 People know his "bundlers" because he pushed disclosure law: Favors topic 16 First bill ever passed was campaign finance reform: Strongly Favors topic 16 Lobbyist influence comes from access, not money: Favors topic 16 YES on establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity: Favors topic 16 NO on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (+5 points on Social scale)	The politics of fear undermines basic civil liberties: Strongly Favors topic 14 America cannot sanction torture; no loopholes or exceptions: Strongly Favors topic 14 Close Guantanamo and restore the right of habeas corpus: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act: Opposes topic 14 YES on preserving habeus corpus for Guantanamo detainees: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14
Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq (+2 points on Social scale)	US policy should promote democracy and human rights: Favors topic 17 War in Iraq is "dumb" but troops still need equipment: Strongly Favors topic 17 We are playing to Osama's plan for winning a war from a cave: Strongly Favors topic 17 NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007: Strongly Opposes topic 17 YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008: Strongly Favors topic 17