Campaign Trail Results: Game #1392997
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2012
- Player Candidate: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Hillary Clinton
- Difficulty Level: Normal
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Mitt Romney | 286 | 63,651,707 | 49.81 |
| ---- Barack Obama | 252 | 62,936,913 | 49.25 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 888,770 | 0.70 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 313,261 | 0.25 |
Visits:
- Colorado:2
- Iowa:2
- Virginia:2
- Michigan:1
- Minnesota:1
- Montana:1
- New Hampshire:1
- North Carolina:1
- Pennsylvania:1
Answers:
- What is your opinion on the detention center at Guantanamo Bay? Would you consider closing it after the election?The center at Guantanamo should definitely be closed. The only thing preventing it so far is obstructionism from the Republican Congress. Furthermore, there is no evidence that half of these detainees are even terrorists.
- A recent Supreme Court decision affirmed an Arizona law allowing officers to check suspected illegal immigrants for proof of immigration status. Do you think this law is a good idea?This is an unconscionable violation of civil rights and will certainly lead to racial profiling.
- How do you view the practice of hydraulic fracturing (aka 'fracking') in the Dakotas and elsewhere?It would be irresponsible of me to speculate on this practice without a thorough understanding of the facts. One of the first things I will do after the election is to establish a bipartisan commission to fully investigate this issue, and to present its recommendations.
- What can the U.S. do to assist pro-democracy protestors in Russia?We should be making public appeals to Vladimir Putin, and consider trade sanctions if he does not relax the political environment there.
- What is your position on gay marriage?Gay marriage should be protected at the federal level. The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.
- Do you support allowing the Bush Tax Cuts to expire for high-income households at the end of 2012?I support letting the cuts expire. It's time that wealthy Americans paid their fair share for the opportunities our society gives to them.
- Michigan was one of the hardest hit states in the recent recession. Do you support higher taxes on foreign vehicles while that auto industry regroups in that state?I think that's a little extreme. I do support measures to assist displaced workers in Michigan as they seek other jobs and education.
- What is your opinion on the 'gunwalking' tactics that led to the 'Fast and Furious' scandal?The tactic of 'gunwalking' led directly to the death of a Border Patrol agent. If we see people breaking the law, it makes no sense not to punish them. I would support the removal of Eric Holder as Attorney General.
- The Affordable Care Act (i.e. 'Obamacare') will cap annual premiums, require minimum coverage levels, and outlaw discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. What do you think?I'm convinced that this program will work. This is a good compromise allowing private insurers to conduct business, while securing access to health insurance for more Americans. If anything, the increased transparency will reduce insurance costs.
- Should the DEA prosecute medicinal marijuana growers in states where that practice has been legalized?This entire thing wouldn't even be an issue if marijuana were decriminalized as it should be. The DEA should never be prosecuting non-violent, licensed growers of medicinal marijuana.
- Do you have any comment to make on the performance of Ben Bernanke as Chairman of the Federal Reserve?I'm a little disappointed with the overly cautious stance Bernanke has taken towards interest rates and other programs. By raising the inflation target we could reduce the burden of our private and public debt and spark a more vigorous recovery.
- Do you see any need for a United States Institute of Peace?This agency performs valuable research on how to avoid future conflicts. It will pay for itself many times over if it succeeds at that mission.
- Should Angela Merkel be doing more to preserve to Euro as the European Union's common currency?What's happening now in Europe is criminal. The working class is being punished to fulfill the avarice of huge, multinational banks. Germany should be doing much more to assist Greece, Italy, and Spain before it is too late.
- Apple's use of cheap, Chinese labor via Foxconn has increased the visibility of labor conditions in that country. Do you think that China competes unfairly with the U.S. by denying basic rights to its workers?The U.S.-China relationship has destroyed middle class jobs for close to three decades. We need drastic changes including more protection for American manufacturing.
- What is your opinion on the Occupy Wall Street movement?I'm sympathetic to some of their demands, but perhaps there are better ways for them to get their point across.
- How much attack advertising will your campaign use?I will run an uplifting, positive campaign focusing on the issues that concern the American people. I trust that they will see through any petty, unfounded attacks that our opponents come up with.
- What actions do you support to mitigate the effects of climate change?We should have more laws and regulations to reduce our total carbon emissions. Sensible next steps include some combination of a cap-and-trade program domestically, as well as international agreements with other nations.
- Is there too much regulation of the American logging industry?No, I don't think so. The last thing we need is a return to the abuses of the past.
- Mitt Romney was the CEO of Bain Capital for many years. What can you say about his time at that firm?I think this just serves to reinforce how detached and out of touch Romney is from the average working American. This is a man who spends more money maintaining a horse than most people earn in an entire year.
- What will be the overriding theme of your nomination speech at the Democratic Convention?I will give an honest speech about the challenges I was facing in 2009, what I did to address them, what I tried to do that was blocked by Republican obstructionism, and what jobs policies I will continue to push for in my second term.
- Would you support an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution to protect women's rights?I think there are better and more practical steps we can take to ensure women's equality. Access to more affordable child care would be a good start, for instance.
- Joe Biden made what can only be described as a gaffe on the campaign trail today. What are your comments?It's certainly alarming to hear statements like these from someone as high-up as Joe Biden. Hopefully he can explain himself a little more clearly in the next few days.
- What is your guiding foreign policy philosophy?Non-Intervention -- Most of our foreign troop deployments are relics of the Cold War. We need to stop occupying other nations and focus on fixing our problems here at home.
- In the most general terms, what will be your overall campaign strategy against Romney?We will attack Mitt Romney relentlessly. He has flip-flopped on key issues and he destroyed thousands of jobs at Bain Capital. He is out of touch with the American people, and he's attacking us for a health care plan that is nearly identical to his own plan in Massachusetts.
- Some on the left thought that you were not very vigorous in your opposition to the anti-union policies of Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin. What do you have to say about this?Of course I am opposed to the policies of Scott Walker. The only reason I wasn't in Wisconsin on the day of his recall election was that I needed to campaign in more competitive states to maximize our chances of winning this fall.