I think the Obama Presidency is going to turn out to be very

[VanillaRhapsody]

120. You mean "not a Populist" like this:

Strongly Favors topic 1:
Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right
(+5 points on Social scale)

We can find common ground between pro-choice and pro-life: Opposes topic 1
Expand access to contraception; reduce unintended pregnancy: 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
Blocked IL law: Born Alive Infant Protection Act: Strongly Favors topic 1
Rated 100% by NARAL on pro-choice votes in 2005, 2006 & 2007: Strongly Favors topic 1
Voted against banning partial birth abortion: Favors topic 1
Supports Roe v. Wade: Strongly Favors topic 1
Sponsored bill providing contraceptives for low-income women: Favors topic 1
Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance: Strongly Favors topic 1
Ensure access to and funding for contraception: Favors topic 1
NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1
NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP: 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:
Legally require hiring women & minorities
(-5 points on Economic scale)

Supports Fair Pay Act: equal pay for equal work: Strongly Favors topic 2
Racial equality good for America as a whole: Favors topic 2
I benefited from affirmative action in my academic career: Strongly Favors topic 2
Keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day’s work: Strongly Favors topic 2
Past discrimination affects future generations: Strongly Favors topic 2
Fight job discrimination to give women equal footing at jobs: Strongly Favors topic 2
Include class-based affirmative action with race-based: Favors topic 2
Better enforce women’s pay equity via Equal Pay Act: Strongly Favors topic 2
Supports affirmative action in colleges and government: Strongly Favors topic 2
Opposes CA Prop. 8, one-man-one-woman marriage: Strongly Favors topic 2
America’s race and class problems are intertwined: Favors topic 2
Get minorities into home ownership & global marketplace: Favors topic 2
Ending racial profiling is part of fight for justice: 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
Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 2
Reinforce anti-discrimination and equal-pay requirements: Favors topic 2
Afghan law tolerating marital rape is abhorrent: Strongly Favors topic 2

Favors topic 3:
Comfortable with same-sex marriage
(+2 points on Social scale)

Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry: Strongly Favors topic 3
Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry: Strongly Favors topic 3
Decisions about marriage should be left to the states: Opposes topic 3
Homosexuality no more immoral than heterosexuality: Favors topic 3
We need strong civil unions, not just weak civil unions: Favors topic 3
Gay marriage is less important that equal gay rights: Opposes topic 3
Opposes gay marriage; supports civil union & gay equality: Favors topic 3
Marriage not a human right; non-discrimination is: Favors topic 3
Gays should not face discrimination but should not marry: Opposes topic 3
Include sexual orientation in anti-discrimination laws: Favors topic 3
Increase funding for AIDS treatment & prevention: Favors topic 3
Rated 89% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance: Strongly Favors topic 3
Provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees: Strongly Favors topic 3
NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3

Favors topic 4:
Keep God in the public sphere
(-3 points on Social scale)

Cut poverty in half in 10 years, with faith-based help: Strongly Favors topic 4
Engages people of faith on all aspects of his public service: Favors topic 4
Listening to evangelicals bridges major political fault line: Favors topic 4
Black churches minister to social needs out of necessity: Favors topic 4
Reach out to faith community;faith has role in public square: 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

Strongly Favors topic 5:
Expand ObamaCare
(-5 points on Economic scale)

Ensure access to basic care: Favors topic 5
They called ObamaCare "Armageddon", but no asteroids fell: Strongly Favors topic 5
Repealing healthcare reform would cost $250B: Favors topic 5
Health care is a right: something’s fundamentally wrong now: Strongly Favors topic 5
Increase competition in the insurance and drug markets: Opposes topic 5
National Health Insurance Exchange for private coverage: Opposes topic 5
The market alone can’t solve our health-care woes: 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
If we started from scratch, one-payer system would be best: Strongly Favors topic 5
Added 20,000 children to Illinois healthcare: Strongly Favors topic 5
National insurance pool & catastrophic insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5
Crises happen in our lives and healthcare is necessary: Strongly Favors topic 5
More funding for Rx benefits, community health, CHIPs: Favors topic 5
Preserve access to Medicaid & SCHIP during economic downturn: Strongly Favors topic 5
NO on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium: 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)

MyRA: new savings bond for retirement: Favors topic 6
What do we do with the losers of privatizing?: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Stop any efforts to privatize Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6
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

No opinion on topic 7:
Vouchers for school choice
(0 points on Economic scale)

Guarantee affordable life-long, top-notch education: Opposes topic 7
Race to the Top: reward innovation in public schools: Favors topic 7
Opposes D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program: Strongly Opposes topic 7
Increase school choice & accountability within NCLB: Favors topic 7
I doubled charter schools in Illinois; but no vouchers: Favors topic 7
Vouchers don’t solve the problems of our schools: Opposes topic 7
Supports charter schools; it’s important to experiment: Favors 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 Opposes topic 8:
No 'rights' to clean air and water
(+5 points on Social scale)

Genesis teaches stewardship of earth: sacrifice for future: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Promote green technologies and fuel efficiency standards: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Conserve, develop alternative fuels, increase efficiencies: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Scored 60% on Humane Society Scorecard on animal protection: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting: Strongly Opposes topic 8

Opposes topic 9:
Stricter punishment reduces crime
(+2 points on Social scale)

Reduce recidivism by providing ex-offender supports: Opposes topic 9
Pushed Illinois bill to videotape all capital interrogations: Opposes topic 9
No extra penalty for gang association: Opposes topic 9
Some heinous crimes justify the ultimate punishment: Favors topic 9
Videotape all capital punishment interrogations: Opposes topic 9
Passed 150 laws to toughen penalties for violent crime: Favors topic 9
Death penalty should be enforced fairly and with caution: Favors topic 9
Death penalty should not discriminate by gang membership: Opposes topic 9
Battles legislatively against the death penalty: Strongly Opposes topic 9
Supports alternative sentencing and rehabilitation: Strongly 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
YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program: Opposes topic 9

Opposes topic 10:
Absolute right to gun ownership
(-3 points on Economic scale)

Respect 2nd Amendment, but local gun bans ok: Opposes topic 10
Provide some common-sense enforcement on gun licensing: Opposes topic 10
2000: cosponsored bill to limit purchases to 1 gun per month: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Concealed carry OK for retired police officers: Favors topic 10
Keep guns out of inner cities--but also problem of morality: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Bush erred in failing to renew assault weapons ban: Strongly Favors topic 10
Ban semi-automatics, and more possession restrictions: Strongly Opposes topic 10
NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers: Strongly Opposes topic 10

Strongly Favors topic 11:
Higher taxes on the wealthy
(-5 points on Economic scale)

We need a tax code where everybody pays their fair share: Strongly Favors topic 11
Now business can write off the full cost of new investments: Opposes topic 11
Lower corporate tax rate; pay for it by closing loopholes: Opposes topic 11
Trickle-down economics has failed: Strongly Favors topic 11
Maintain the inheritance tax on wealthy: Strongly Favors topic 11
Tax cuts for the rich do not create jobs: Favors topic 11
No tax breaks for millionaires; GOP always wants tax cuts: Strongly Favors topic 11
Tax cut for 95% of all working families, not corporations: Strongly Favors topic 11
Trillion dollar giveaway: the Paris Hilton Tax Break: Strongly Favors topic 11
Bush tax cuts help corporations but not middle class: Strongly Favors topic 11
Rated 100% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M: Strongly Favors topic 11
NO on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset: 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

Strongly Favors topic 12:
Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens
(+5 points on Social scale)

Sent unmanned aircraft drones to monitor Mexican border: Opposes topic 12
Stop expelling talented undocumented workers: Strongly Favors topic 12
Send 1,200 National Guard troops to southern border: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants: Opposes topic 12
Deporting 12 million people is ridiculous and impractical: Strongly Favors topic 12
Immigrants are scapegoats for high unemployment rates: Strongly Favors topic 12
Illegals shouldn’t work; but should have path to citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12
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
Let’s be a nation of laws AND a nation of immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12
Give immigrants who are here a rigorous path to citizenship: Favors topic 12
Still supports comprehensive reform and the DREAM Act: Favors topic 12
Extend welfare and Medicaid to immigrants: Favors topic 12
Support the DREAM Act for the children of illegal immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12
Comprehensive immigration reform without amnesty: Strongly Favors topic 12
Provide funding for social services for noncitizens: Favors topic 12
Rated 8% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance: Strongly Favors topic 12
YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities": 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

Favors topic 13:
Support & expand free trade
(+2 points on Economic scale)

Export more goods stamped "Made in the USA": Favors topic 13
Negotiate a Transatlantic and a Trans-Pacific Partnership: Strongly Favors topic 13
Double our exports by 2014; starting with South Korea: Strongly Favors topic 13
People don’t want cheaper T-shirts if it costs their job: 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
Trade agreements mean we sell "Made in America" to millions: Strongly Favors topic 13
Double US exports via deals with Panama, Colombia, & S.Korea: Strongly Favors topic 13
NAFTA protects corporate profits; should protect labor: Opposes topic 13
Stand firm against CAFTA for labor & environmental standards: Strongly Opposes topic 13
Amend NAFTA to add labor agreements: 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

Opposes topic 14:
Maintain US sovereignty from UN
(-3 points on Economic scale)

2005: The Plan: build credibility with travel abroad: Opposes topic 14
The UN has succeeded in avoiding a Third World War: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Human rights and national security are complementary: Favors topic 14
No “strategic ambiguity” on foreign policy issues: Favors topic 14
Meet with enemy leaders; it’s a disgrace that we have not: Strongly Opposes topic 14
In Berlin: proud citizen of US; fellow citizen of the world: Opposes topic 14
Cooperation among nations is not a choice; it’s the only way: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Engage with Iran; but combat Al Qaeda in Pakistan: Favors topic 14
Iran is more isolated and will face growing consequences: Opposes topic 14
Secure all world's nuclear materials by international treaty: Strongly Favors topic 14
Key to Iranian sanctions was world's involvement: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Restore habeas corpus for detainees in the War on Terror: Opposes topic 14
YES on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees: Strongly Opposes topic 14
YES on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods: Strongly Opposes topic 14
NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Opposes topic 14

Opposes topic 15:
Expand the military
(+2 points on Social scale)

Don't give military money that they're not asking for: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Grow size of military to maintain rotation schedules: Favors topic 15
Give our soldiers the best equipment and training available: Favors topic 15
Sponsored bill for Iraq budget to be part of defense budget: Opposes topic 15
Improve mental health care benefits for returning veterans: Favors topic 15
YES on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months: Opposes topic 15

Strongly Favors topic 16:
More enforcement of the right to vote
(+5 points on Social scale)

Ended corporate jet travel subsidized by lobbyists: Favors topic 16
No lobbyist money; no PAC money; fund campaigns instead: Strongly Favors topic 16
Reduced cost TV ads for candidates; $85M presidential limit: Strongly Favors topic 16
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
Prohibit 'voter caging' which intimidates minority voting: 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

Favors topic 17:
Stay out of Iran
(+2 points on Social scale)

US policy should promote democracy and human rights: Favors topic 17
End our longest war: out of Afghanistan in 2014: Favors topic 17
We've taken the fight to al Qaeda in Afghanistan, until July: Opposes topic 17
Evil does exist in the world; sometimes war is justified: Favors topic 17
We are playing to Osama’s plan for winning a war from a cave: Strongly Favors topic 17
Iraq: 100,000 troops have left; let's finish the job: Favors topic 17
$2.7 billion each week of Iraq spending is unsustainable: Favors topic 17
War in Iraq is “dumb” but troops still need equipment: 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

Favors topic 18:
Prioritize green energy
(-3 points on Economic scale)

Develop 100-year natural gas supply; it's beneath our feet: Opposes topic 18
GovWatch: Supports nuclear power if it’s clean & safe: Opposes topic 18
3-way win: economy, environment, & stop funding terror: Strongly Favors topic 18
Increase CAFE to 40 mpg: Strongly Favors topic 18
Sponsored legislations that improve energy efficiency: Favors topic 18
Lowest oil imports and highest oil production in 16 years: Opposes topic 18
All-of-the-above approach to reduce foreign dependence : Opposes topic 18
All-of-the-above energy; enough natural gas or 100 years: Opposes topic 18
Big promoter of clean coal technology & nukes: Strongly Opposes topic 18
More Alaska oil & gas leases, plus new gas pipeline: Strongly Opposes topic 18
Free America from its dependence on foreign oil: Strongly Favors topic 18
Debate is settled: climate change is a fact: Strongly Favors topic 18
First-ever carbon pollution limits for new oil & coal plants: Strongly Favors topic 18
Include clean coal in clean energy future: Opposes topic 18
Reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050: Strongly Favors topic 18
Aggressively address accelerating climate change: Strongly Favors topic 18
Cap-and-trade is more specific on reducing greenhouse gases: Strongly Favors topic 18
Natural gas is a "bridge fuel"; then go solar: Opposes topic 18
Invest in clean energy because China & Germany will: Strongly Favors topic 18
Doubled use of renewable energy; doubled car fuel efficiency: Favors topic 18
Don't cede wind, or solar, or battery industry to foreigners: Strongly Favors topic 18
Subsidize clean energy by canceling oil subsidies: Favors topic 18
More incentives for clean energy, including nuclear: Opposes topic 18
GovWatch: $150B for electric car batteries & new technology: Strongly Favors topic 18
Invest in alternative energy sources: Favors topic 18
Renewable Fuels Standard: require ethanol in fuel supply: Strongly Favors topic 18
Wind energy jobs are not imaginary jobs: Strongly Favors topic 18
Sponsored bill for tax credit for providing 85% ethanol gas: Favors topic 18
Sponsored bill raising CAFE by a 4% per year until 2018: 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
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

Opposes topic 19:
Never legalize marijuana
(+2 points on Social scale)

We share cross-border drug problem with Mexico: Favors topic 19
Look at needle exchange; and expand treatment: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Fight to rid our communities of meth: Favors topic 19
Expand drug courts; help prisoners with substance abuse: Strongly Opposes topic 19
2001: questions harsh penalties for drug dealing: Opposes topic 19
Not first candidate to use drugs, but first honest about it: 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
End harsher sentencing for crack vs. powder cocaine: Opposes topic 19
Require chemical resellers to certify against meth use: Favors topic 19

Favors topic 20:
Stimulus better than market-led recovery
(-3 points on Economic scale)

I've cut taxes for middle-class families & small businesses: Strongly Opposes topic 20
Some earmarks are defensible, if done in full light of day: Strongly Favors topic 20
We cut taxes 25 times, for 95% of Americans: Strongly Opposes topic 20
My plan cuts taxes for most small businesses & 95% of people: Strongly Opposes topic 20
Restore progressive tax; close loopholes; relief to seniors: Favors topic 20
Return to PayGo: compensate for all new spending: Opposes topic 20
Specific tax relief for families making $75,000 or less now: Strongly Opposes topic 20
Close tax loopholes for US companies relocating abroad: Favors topic 20
Bush’s economic policies are not working: Favors topic 20
Supports federal programs to protect rural economy: Strongly Favors topic 20
Last thing we need now is a permanent tax cut: Favors topic 20
Save $150 billion in tax cuts for people who don’t need them: Favors topic 20
Recovery Act averted a second Great Depression: Strongly Favors topic 20
Spending freeze now would be destimulative; later is better: Strongly Favors topic 20
Bring back the Clinton tax rate for income above $250,000: Favors topic 20
Buffett rule: millionaires pay minimum of 30% in taxes: Favors topic 20
No across-the-board tax cuts for the wealthy: Favors topic 20
Tax cuts for wealthy got us into the current deficit: Favors topic 20
No $300 billion on tax cuts for those who don’t need them: Favors topic 20
I will raise CEO taxes, no doubt about it: Favors topic 20
I’m not bashful about it: wealthy will pay more taxes: Favors topic 20
Reduce Bush tax cuts to pay for health care & other programs: Favors topic 20
YES on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million: Strongly Favors topic 20