Campaign Trail Results: Game #1062750

This Game:

  • Year: 2012
  • Player Candidate: Mitt Romney
  • Running Mate: Rob Portman
  • Difficulty Level: Normal
  • Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
  • Game Played:
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View overall results, or a specific state:
CandidateElectoral VotesPopular VotesPop. Vote %
---- Barack Obama33265,312,82650.82
---- Mitt Romney20661,983,91548.23
---- Gary Johnson0896,5270.70
---- Jill Stein0315,4480.25

Visits:

  • Pennsylvania:6
  • Florida:3
  • Michigan:1
  • Ohio:1
  • Virginia: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?
    I don't want to comment on an issue that is best left to the voters of Arizona.
  • Should the federal government continue to finance newer companies that attempt to develop alternative energy resources, such as solar power and electric car manufacturers?
    Obviously a couple of firms went bankrupt, but that happens sometimes with new companies. We shouldn't let that distract us from the overall idea of this project. Funding should remain as is.
  • Do you have an opinion on net neutrality?
    Net neutrality is essential to the internet as we know it. It must be maintained indefinitely.
  • To what extent should offshore drilling be permitted in the Gulf of Mexico?
    The drilling we have in place now is sufficient. What the fiasco with BP proves is that as we reach further and further down for more marginal sources, we increase the risk of accidents.
  • What is your position on gay marriage?
    I'm opposed this personally. I think that, you know, different states have different opinions on this matter and it's best left to them to decide on the issue.
  • 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.
  • Would it help our economy if government employment was increased? Or would this divert valuable resources from the private sector?
    It's dangerous to rely too much on government as opposed to the private sector. We shouldn't be looking at government spending and employment to resolve these issues.
  • 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?
    This is the wrong way to reform the American health care system. We should be focusing on malpractice reform and on cutting red tape for private insurers.
  • Should the DEA prosecute medicinal marijuana growers in states where that practice has been legalized?
    Is this a real question? Where states refuse to uphold their responsibilities, the federal government should step in. Perhaps we can argue about the severity of the penalty, but never about the crime itself.
  • 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?
    That is nearly two years. We need unemployment benefits but these extensions were clearly out of control.
  • Do you have any comment to make on the performance of Ben Bernanke as Chairman of the Federal Reserve?
    No comment as of now. I will deliberate very carefully as to whether Bernanke should be reappointed, but for the moment it's not appropriate for politicans to address the performance of the Federal Reserve.
  • Do you think reduced penalties and increased treatment for drug users would help reduce the flow of drugs from Latin America?
    Perhaps there is a role for this, but our primary focus should be on targeting the cartels overseas and on providing military and economic support to any government that will assist us in that endeavor.
  • Should the Social Security Trust Fund be purchasing U.S. Treasury bills? Should it be allowed to invest in other bonds and securities to potentially increase its rate of return? Or conversely, should the funds be held in a 'lockbox' to guarantee benefit payments?
    I think anyone who has managed money can tell you there is a place for U.S. Treasuries in any professional portfolio. Allowing the Social Security fund to invest in other securities opens a huge number of potential problems and conflicts of interest.
  • The budget for the Department of Housing and Urban Development was cut by nearly $4 billion in 2012. Do you think subsidized housing for the poor is a good place to begin reducing the federal deficit?
    We'll have to make decisions like these at some point. It's better to do so now when we still have some control over the outcome, rather than waiting for a budget crisis to kick in.
  • How do you feel about capitalism and the free market?
    I am a firm proponent of the free market. We simply need effective regulation to make sure that the economy works as best as it possibly can.
  • Will you wear an American flag lapel on your suit as you campaign?
    It baffles me how someone could be ashamed to display the American flag. It seems a little unpatriotic to me.
  • Without divulging a preference for any particular religious group, do you believe that America was founded as a Christian nation?
    This is an arcane debate. The First Amendment guarantees religious freedom in the U.S., and the personal beliefs of the founders are not a relevant policy issue.
  • This morning you went to an elementary school and read books to a class of second-graders. How did you enjoy yourself?
    It's always refreshing to spend my morning in a classroom full of America's future leaders and inventors.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Can you clear up any confusion with the Republican base about your beliefs on global warming?
    I don't think it's unconservative to say that when a nation turns its back on science, that nation is destined to fail. Just look at what happened to the Arab world after the 1200s.
  • How does your insurance plan in Massachusetts differ from Obamacare?
    I've changed my position on health care over the years after much reflection. We should focus on doing anything we can to overturn Obamacare, rather than dwelling on what I used to think years in the past.
  • What will be the overriding theme of your nomination speech at the Republican Convention?
    My message will be a message of hope. After four years of economic blight the American people need to feel good about themselves, and they need to know that their efforts will be rewarded with material prosperity.
  • 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 Obama?
    I will reach out to moderates and conservative Democrats and attempt to build an all-encompassing coalition. It's time that America had a true leader in charge.