Campaign Trail Results: Game #1532412
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2012
- Player Candidate: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Joe Biden
- Difficulty Level: Normal
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Barack Obama | 290 | 65,061,485 | 50.29 |
| ---- Mitt Romney | 248 | 63,095,040 | 48.77 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 885,642 | 0.68 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 319,403 | 0.25 |
Visits:
- Florida:3
- Colorado:2
- Ohio:2
- Virginia:2
- Michigan:1
- Pennsylvania:1
- Wisconsin:1
Answers:
- Should the government be doing more to stabilize home prices?I think we could be doing more to purchase homes from the banks, and perhaps rent them out until the situation improves. This would help support a price recovery.
- 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?The proper authority for enforcement rests with the federal government. This law goes further than federal laws and even if constitutional, should be repealed.
- Does it make sense to dispose our nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada?Nuclear power has proven itself to be a dangerous policy idea. We should be moving away from nuclear and into more environmentally friendly types of energy.
- 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 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 The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.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.
- What do you think we should do next in regards to Social Security?Talking about a bankrupt Social Security program is a right wing scare tactic. We could afford to increase benefits if we really wanted to.
- 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.
- 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.
- Do you think the Death with Dignity Act in Oregon could be a model for broader federal legislation on the issue?That's ridiculous. Of course not.
- Is it time for the federal government to cut spending, even with the economy growing at less than 2% annually?Absolutely not. If anything, we should be increasing the size of government right now to fight the stagnant economy. Had the size of the initial Stimulus Act in 2009 been sufficient, for instance, we wouldn't be having these problems now.
- 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.
- Would you advocate cutting Peace Corps funding to help address the deficit?This is a valuable component of our international presence. We should maintain the funding we have in place, which is miniscule in proportion to our overall budget.
- How much attack advertising will your campaign use?A substantial amount. We cannot afford to let ourselves get rolled over by false and misleading claims from our opponent.
- Should large banks like Chase, Citibank, and Bank of America be broken up to reduce the risk of another financial crisis?Too big to fail is too big to exist. It's pathetic just how much our representatives have allowed themselves to be bought by financial institutions.
- This morning you went to an elementary school and read books to a class of second-graders. How did you enjoy yourself?I had a fantastic time. Days like today remind me of why we need more federal funding for education.
- What is the best way to make college more affordable for young people?If we had more federal funding for student loans and grants, it would make college more accessible to underprivileged students. I also support increased grants to the states to support their state university systems.
- Your former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is currently engaged in a high-profile struggle with the Chicago Teachers Union. Do you hope that he succeeds?I think Rahm's demands are reasonable. We have to do something to improve education in Chicago.
- Christina Romer -- formerly the Chairperson on your Council of Economic Advisors -- stated in 2009 that unemployment would be less than 6% by 2012 if the stimulus package was enacted. What went wrong, and did the results of the stimulus have any bearing on her resignation?First of all, this had no bearing on her decision to leave the Obama Administration. Secondly, the economy was in much worse shape in early 2009 than anyone realized. Since that time we have repeatedly tried to pass additional stimulus measures and have been thwarted by House Republicans at every opportunity.
- You have expressed support for increasing taxes on the rich to address our budget shortfall. However, almost half of Americans currently pay no income taxes. Are you sure this is a good idea?Yes I think it's a good idea. Our working class and middle class taxpayers have been crushed by the past few years of subpar economic performance, which was caused of course by the Bush Administration.
- Elizabeth Warren is currently fighting the good fight in the Massachusetts Senate race. Would you be open to offering her a position in your Administration if she falls short there?Let's hope it doesn't come to that. She is a brilliant, talented woman and no matter what happens, there will always be a place for her in government.
- What will be the overriding theme of your nomination speech at the Democratic Convention?I will talk about the myriad methods that the Republicans use to divide our country. I will remind everyone that Democrats are truly the party of the common person -- regardless of background or income level.
- Over half of all sexual harassment complaints filed in 2011 were dismissed -- an increase from previous years. Do you think enough is being done to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?I'm very concerned about this issue. I would like to see our funding level increase for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, so that adequate resources are in place to pursue these claims.
- What is your guiding foreign policy philosophy?Pragmatism -- Our foreign policy right now is effective. We need to guide foreign nations towards democracy and open markets. Doing so will increase the world's prosperity and decrease the chance of future wars.
- In the most general terms, what will be your overall campaign strategy against Romney?Behind the scenes my surrogates have plenty of dirt to spread about Romney and the Republicans. As President, I will stick to a message of optimism and hope in my own campaign speeches.