Campaign Trail Results: Game #1092036
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 1960
- Player Candidate: Richard Nixon
- Running Mate: Everett Dirksen
- Difficulty Level: Normal
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- John F. Kennedy | 299 | 34,038,662 | 50.78 |
| ---- Richard Nixon | 224 | 32,641,165 | 48.69 |
| ---- Harry Byrd | 14 | 357,385 | 0.53 |
Visits:
- California:5
- Nevada:2
- Pennsylvania:2
- Illinois:1
- South Carolina:1
- Texas:1
Answers:
- Eisenhower has his own responsibilities as President, but he is able to hit the trail for the last week of the campaign. He will obviously provide a huge boost wherever he appears. What do you think?I want Eisenhower to travel to California and the West Coast.
- What kind of tone will you attempt to set in your campaign this fall?I will pledge, as much as possible, to continue the policies of Dwight Eisenhower when I am President. I will also emphasize my experience in Eisenhower's Administration, particularly in world affairs.
- What do you have to say about the selection of Everett Dirksen as your running mate?Everett Dirksen has served the state of Illinois admirably during his time in the U.S. Senate, and I'm proud to have him on my ticket.
- 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?These activists are trespassing on the property of lawful businesses. I think there are better methods of pushing for change in the South.
- Southern Republicans are insisting that you visit their region extensively during this campaign, claiming that Kennedy will be vulnerable in some states. What are your thoughts?I agree. We can definitely split the South if we make a strong play for it this year. I will visit extensively.
- There has been a proposal for a series of television debates between you and Kennedy. Is this something you are interested in?I've been a champion debater for my entire life. I'd be happy to go against Kennedy on TV.
- 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?Honestly, I'd rather that people didn't bring this issue up. People know that Kennedy is Catholic, and this can only galvanize his support from that sector.
- 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?Not particularly. Our campaign would prefer to move on to other issues to be perfectly honest.
- To what extent will you make your experience as Vice President a theme of your campaign against the youthful Kennedy?This needs to be a key centerpiece of our campaign. Our current President is widely popular, and I can easily make the case that I was a central part of his Administration.
- 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?I prefer a slightly different program, offering health insurance to the elderly that they can choose to purchase. The proposed program was mandatory, and also covered only those covered by the Social Security Act.
- Do you believe that the islands of Quemoy and Matsu should fall within the United States defense perimeter in Asia?I do believe we should defend these islands. We are committed to the defense of Taiwan, and that commitment must include all of Taiwan to be credible.
- Currently the highest income tax bracket pays a rate of 91%. Will you work harder to cut tax rates as President?I would be open to this, depending on how the economy goes in the next year or two.
- Is the United States adequately prepared to defend against the Soviet threat today?We can never be fully satisfied, but we have certainly held our own in the Cold War over the past eight years, compared to where we were during the Korean War.
- 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.
- During the Great Depression, the federal government began a policy of farm subsidies to stabilize farm incomes and to target a specific output of each crop. Are these policies still necessary in 1960?They are absolutely necessary. Farmers are not in a good position to bargain for their crops, and any economic weakness in that sector can easily cause a recession in the broader economy.
- 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?I'm not satisfied with how well teachers are paid in this country, and I'd encourage local jurisdictions to address this issue further. We need to strike a good balance in this regard.
- 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?Let's make a public comment criticizing this arrest, and expressing our hopes that this situation doesn't escalate any further.
- Are you satisfied with the economy and the economic policies of this country over the past eight years?We are on the right track economically. We can't deny that there was a recession in 1958, but the recovery has been strong and 1960 will see a very high rate of growth in this country.
- How serious, at the current time, do you believe the internal Communist threat is?We should always be concerned about internal subversion, but the external Soviet threat should be our primary focus at this point.
- Should the United States apologize to the Soviet Union for the controversy surrounding the downed U-2 spy plane and surrounding espionage?Absolutely not. We cannot show weakness in the face of the Soviet threat, and the Paris Summit collapsed from the intransigence of Nikita Khrushchev.
- 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.
- What would you do as President to combat increasing unemployment in America's industrial cities?If we continue our current economic policies, the economy should continue to recover into the 1960s and we will see a rebound in our employment rate.
- What is your position on the power of labor unions in the United States?We should be vigilant against labor union excesses, and the Taft-Hartley Act was a good start. I believe that we should keep that law in place.
- Do you believe that current levels of defense spending are adequate?We can always find areas for improvement, but we have successfully defended the United States and our allies from numerous Communist threats over the past eight years.
- Where will you spend your final day before the election?We will focus on Texas and the South.