Campaign Trail Results: Game #949148
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2012
- Player Candidate: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Hillary Clinton
- Difficulty Level: Impossible
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Mitt Romney | 306 | 65,179,759 | 50.49 |
| ---- Barack Obama | 232 | 62,658,064 | 48.54 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 933,572 | 0.72 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 327,296 | 0.25 |
Visits:
- Iowa:3
- Colorado:2
- Florida:2
- Ohio:2
- Minnesota:1
- Nevada:1
- Pennsylvania:1
Answers:
- 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.
- Does it make sense to dispose our nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada?As a sovereign state, Nevada has every right to reject this proposal. Nobody wants to live next to a toxic nuclear waste site.
- How do you view the practice of hydraulic fracturing (aka 'fracking') in the Dakotas and elsewhere?I'm very skeptical of the idea that we can trust oil companies to look out for the interests of the little guy. There should be greater regulations to preserve the safety of our water supply.
- In November 2011, Ohio voters rejected a law to limit collective bargaining power for public unions. Do public sector unions such as teachers' and police unions have too much bargaining power?I support the hardworking teachers and firefighters of Ohio and elsewhere.
- There is currently a large amount of drug violence in Mexico near the U.S. border. What would you do as President to help stabilize this situation?Decriminalize drugs to reduce prices in the United States. This will undermine the cartels.
- 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 The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.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?Perhaps we can consider letting these expire at some point in the future, but for now we are mired in a stagnant economy and need to avoid tax increases.
- The United States has historically subsidized corn producers. With recent price increases in the corn market, do you still believe that such a program is necessary?There is a need for some level of subsidies, but what we have now is too much.
- Will you launch an air campaign against Iranian nuclear sites if diplomatic negotiations continue to yield minimal results?I'd rather not discuss this issue right now while diplomatic negotiations are in progress.
- 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.
- The maximum duration of unemployment insurance, with all extensions factored in, has been reduced from 99 weeks. Do you think this is appropriate in the current economic climate?There shouldn't be limits on the duration of unemployment insurance. This program is the only thing supporting many displaced workers, and the economic benefits of unemployment insurance are also beyond dispute.
- 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?Any trade deals should be negotiated with a fair balance between American and Chinese interests. China is not doing enough to protect the rights of their workers, which gives them an unfair advantage in global trade.
- What is your opinion on the Tea Party movement?A funny thing happened on January 20, 2009 -- millions of people who supported Bush's deficits suddenly flip-flopped into budget hawks. This group is obviously just a political front for the far right wing of the Republican Party.
- Should federal fuel taxes be slightly increased (they have been the same since 1993) to avoid another catastrophe like the Minnesota bridge collapse of 2007?I don't see a problem with a small increase. We should be encouraging other forms of transportation, and on top of that our highways are woefully underfunded.
- Will you wear an American flag lapel on your suit as you campaign?Didn't Nixon invent this tactic as a cheap political ploy in the 1960s? This is far from the best way for someone to display their patriotism.
- 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.
- The most recent data (for 2010) on Pell Grants indicate that 60% of all college students receive one. In that same year, the program cost $36 billion. What changes, if any, would you recommend to this program?Students are the future of this country and they need all the help they can get to make it through college, especially considering how much tuition has been increased over the past few years.
- The most recent poll showed you slipping by a couple of percentage points. Are you planning on making any changes in your campaign to address this?I'm very concerned about these numbers. If they don't improve we might have to fire our campaign manager and start from scratch.
- Some theorists have suggested that the government create guaranteed jobs at the federal minimum wage, to help support the labor market. Is this something that you would consider?If we created jobs like this at a set minimum wage, it would benefit everyone. Private sector wages would increase and economic insecurity would be greatly mitigated for millions of people.
- Tell us how you feel about the Keystone Pipeline.Now isn't the best time to decide this. Perhaps in 2013 we can make a rational decision that is not influenced by politics.
- Some on the left have criticized your reliance on drone strikes to project American interests, stating that they lead to unnecessary civilian casualties. What can you say to this?I've thought carefully about this issue and consulted with our military advisors. Based on those conversations we have decided to end the practice of drone strikes, effective immediately.
- Many people speculate that the Affordable Health Care Act is the first step on the road to socialized medicine. Can you address these concerns?If we wanted socialized medicine we would have submitted a socialized medicine bill. I don't think these conspiracy theories are very helpful when it comes to effectively governing a modern, complex society.
- 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.
- 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.