Campaign Trail Results: Game #52028
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 1960
- Player Candidate: John F. Kennedy
- Running Mate: Lyndon Johnson
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Richard Nixon | 481 | 37,167,597 | 55.64 |
| ---- John F. Kennedy | 42 | 29,271,926 | 43.82 |
| ---- Harry Byrd | 14 | 364,925 | 0.55 |
Visits:
- New York:3
- Nevada:2
- Pennsylvania:2
- Texas:2
- California:1
- Connecticut:1
- Ohio:1
Answers:
- What kind of tone will you attempt to set in your campaign this fall?I will campaign as a mainstream liberal Democrat, emphasizing key parts of our platform and pressing the case for more vigilance in our national defense.
- What do you have to say about the selection of Lyndon Johnson as your running mate?Lyndon Johnson is a loyal Southerner and Senator from Texas who will spare no effort to advance a Democratic agenda.
- Lady Bird Johnson, LBJ's wife, has been spat on by a gathering of far-right protestors in a Dallas hotel lobby. What are your thoughts?I have no real comment to make, but I'm sure that the voters in Texas will be incensed at the incivility of this episode.
- There has been a proposal for a series of television debates between you and Kennedy. Is this something you are interested in?I would love to go against Nixon in a televised debate. We could use the exposure and I'm confident that I would win.
- Anti-Catholicism has been a huge issue thus far in the campaign, with hundreds of pamphlets and leaflets being distributed across the South and Midwest. Do you have any comment?Let's gather some of these leaflets and show them to the media and to major newspapers. I think they demonstrate the lengths that some people will go to discredit my candidacy.
- Anti-Catholicism continues to be an issue. Major newspapers have published a statement by 150 Protestant clergy, including Norman Vincent Peale, opposing any Catholic as President. Do you have any comment?Let's take this opportunity to make a major speech on the topic. I will address this issue exclusively in a televised speech, and put it to rest for good.
- There have been a large number of sit-ins recently, where black students and activists are sitting at whites-only lunch counters and department stores to advocate for desegregation. Do you support this movement?I support the civil rights movement, but I'm a little concerned about the disregard for the law that some of these activists have shown.
- Richard Nixon has made "experience" the centerpiece of his campaign. What do you have to say on this point?I question this premise, to be frank. It's still not clear to me exactly what role Nixon had in the Eisenhower Administration, or what policies of his have been implemented.
- There was a recent effort in Congress to pass a program to provide medical care to elderly Americans, but it was narrowly defeated. Will you make a further push for this type of program as President?This program is a good starting point, but I would much prefer a program of national health insurance for all Americans -- not just the elderly.
- Do you believe that the islands of Quemoy and Matsu should fall within the United States defense perimeter in Asia?I'm not sure it's practical or desirable from a military standpoint to defend two tiny islands that are much closer to the Chinese mainland than they are to Formosa.
- Currently the highest income tax bracket pays a rate of 91%. Will you work harder to cut tax rates as President?This is not a high priority for me as President. We need to create an old age insurance program and increase our funding for education.
- Is the United States adequately prepared to defend against the Soviet threat today?I am satisfied with our progress over the past few years. We have prevented further expansion while avoiding any major wars.
- Do you believe the United States is adequately prepared to defend against the Soviet threat over the next ten years?I am as satisfied as I can be. With sound defense policies and strong economic growth, we should continue to maintain our advantage over the Soviet Union.
- What is your opinion on the current level of education funding in the United States? Would you increase federal education funding, even if it meant higher taxes or a larger budget deficit?We need to minimize the federal funding of education, even in block grants. It could easily open the door to federal control of our schools.
- Would you support the passage of a federal civil rights bill as President to address the worst excesses of segregation in the South?I would not support a measure like this. This would be an unnecessary and unconstitutional interference into the rights of our states.
- Recently, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested at a sit-in in Atlanta, and has now been sentenced to four months in prison for failing to get a Georgia driver's license after moving to that state. Do you have any comment or action you would like to take?I will give a statement encouraging the State of Georgia to protect the safety of Mr. King, while criticizing him for participating in these inflammatory and illegal protests.
- Are you satisfied with the economy and the economic policies of this country over the past eight years?We need more spending and lower interest rates, and we need to repeal the Taft-Hartley Act and put more money into the hands of the American people.
- Do you support a minimum wage of $1.25 per hour, with some exceptions for small business? Such a measure was recently defeated in Congress.I believe a minimum wage is at the very least a bad economic idea, and possibly unconstitutional. I do not support this increase.
- How serious, at the current time, do you believe the internal Communist threat is?It's unfortunate that we've become less vigilant on the internal Communist threat in recent years. Espionage and infiltration of our government is as serious a threat as external Soviet action.
- Should the United States apologize to the Soviet Union for the controversy surrounding the downed U-2 spy plane and surrounding espionage?We lost a lot of ground diplomatically after this event, and much of that could have been avoided had we issued a formal apology.
- Did Dwight Eisenhower do the right thing when he sent federal troops to Little Rock to ensure the integration of the high school there?We should have found a better way to resolve this issue, rather than intrude into the sovereignty of an American state.
- Has the United States adequately defended against the Communist threat in Indochina? Would you support further action there if necessary?I believe we need to defend South Vietnam at all costs, whatever commitment of our forces that entails.
- What is your position on the power of labor unions in the United States?We need to do anything we can to reduce the power of labor unions in this country, including a national right-to-work law.
- Do you believe that current levels of defense spending are adequate?In the final analysis, every dollar spent on defense is taken from more productive uses within our economy. I will look for ways to find common ground with the Soviet Union so that we can cut defense spending.
- Where will you spend your final day before the election?We will travel to California and the West Coast.
