State and federal officeholders in 2007
(Click below on a state for a
list of Governors, House of Representative members, or Senators and their
challengers).
Below are the summary results of our VoteMatch 20-question political quiz,
with analysis of the responses in terms of McCain's & Obama's stances from
the 2004 elections. This data represents 15,800 VoteMatch quiz responses in the
period January 1 through Dec. 31, 2004. Click on the links below for excerpts
on each topic, or click for a summary of
Obama's VoteMatch answers and
McCain's VoteMatch answers, with headlines evidencing how we concluded
their answer to each question. Click on the "analysis" link to see background
and details about the question.
Abortion is a Woman's Right
Strongly Support
Support
No Opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Analysis: 59%
agree with Obama's pro-choice
stance, and only 34% with
McCain's pro-life stance. This issue has the fewest people answering "no
opinion" of any VoteMatch issue (only 7%), which reflects the fact that it is
overwhelmingly the issue with the most voter interest (as indicated by our
viewership statistics). Click for all candidates' headlines on
abortion or for background
information.
Require Companies To Hire More Women/Minorities
Strongly Support
Support
No Opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Analysis: Obama
supports
Affirmative Action but questions its effectiveness; McCain supports
Affirmative Access with more focus on process than outcome. Note that
our question specifies REQUIREMENT: 39% support that, and 45% oppose it. (This
has changed from 35% support and 51% oppose in 1999-2000, the largest shift for
any question which had identical wording then). Click for all candidates'
headlines on Civil Rights or for
background information.
Sexual Orientation Protected By Civil Rights Law
Strongly Support
Support
No Opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Analysis: 61%
agree with Obama's
relatively pro-gay leave-it-to-the-states stance, and 25% with
McCain's Defense-of-Marriage stance. The response pattern indicates a
divisive issue: both "strongly" bars are larger than their corresponding
non-strong bars. The "strongly support" bar has the highest response of any
quiz question (and has grown since 1999-2000) -- this is attributable to the
growing interest and growing divisiveness in this topic due to the advent of
same-sex marriages. Click for all candidates' headlines on
Civil Rights or for
background information.
Permit Prayer In Public Schools
Strongly Support
Support
No Opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Analysis: It's
difficult to decode the candidates's stances on religious issues, since both
are wary of issues of separation of church and state, and neither wants to be
seen as anti-religion. But McCain is considerably more willing to federally fund
values education, which the results above would imply are supported by
49% of voters. 37% oppose school prayer, which implies a closer match to
Obama's "no" vote on voluntary prayer. Click for all candidates'
headlines on Education or for headlines on
Values.
Death Penalty
Strongly Support
Support
No Opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Analysis: McCain
supports the death penalty, and Obama is opposed. McCain's
fervent support is backed up by 49% of voters. Obama's
opposition is backed by 38% of voters (a shift from 47%-43% in
1999-2000). Click for all candidates' headlines on Crime
or for background information.
Mandatory "Three Strikes" Sentencing Laws
Strongly Support
Support
No Opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Analysis: McCain
supports mandatory sentencing, which matches voter preference: 47% to 35%
opposed. Obama prefers
prevention (support for mandatory sentencing has waned since
1999-2000). McCain is more fervent than the wording of this question, in favor of
"Two Strikes" and limited parole, including minors. Click for all
candidates' headlines on Crime or for
background information.
Analysis: Only
35% agree with Obama's stance to keep Social Security
within the federal government, while 44% agree with McCain's stance of
privatization (but support of privatization has waned since the
1999-2000 score of 56%-29%). Social Security until recently was called the
"Third Rail" of politics -- touch it and you die -- but clearly the voters are
ready for a change. This question is perhaps the most skewed by our
demographics -- our respondents are all Internet users, and hence are younger
and more affluent than the general population. Click for all candidates'
headlines on Social Security or for
background information.
Parents Choose Schools Via Vouchers
Strongly Support
Support
No Opinion
Oppose
Strongly Oppose
Analysis: 44%
agree with Obama's stance to
fund public schools only, and 37% agree with McCain's stance to
fund vouchers for private schools. Education is primarily a non-federal
issue, with 93% of funding and most decisions occuring at the state and local
levels. But education is solidly third in voter interest (behind abortion and
guns, as measured by our viewership statistics -- it has slipped from second
place in 1999-2000), so the candidates are obligated to make their views known
despite the limited power of the presidency on this issue. Click for all
candidates' headlines on School Choice or for
background information.
Click here for 
