Campaign Trail Results: Game #1126479
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 1844
- Player Candidate: James K. Polk
- Running Mate: Levi Woodbury
- Difficulty Level: Impossible
- Winner Take All Mode?: No
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Henry Clay | 165 | 1,486,898 | 54.26 |
| ---- James K. Polk | 110 | 1,137,175 | 41.50 |
| ---- John Tyler | 0 | 63,237 | 2.31 |
| ---- James Birney | 0 | 53,023 | 1.93 |
Answers:
- What points will emphasize in your acceptance letter, as you accept the Democratic nomination for President?My position on Texas is known. I will explain my own background more carefully, and emphasize that the Democrats are a national party that fights for the benefit of all sections.
- You are known as a supporter of annexation on the Texas front. Do you have anything you would like to add, now that you have been nominated?We must annex Texas as soon as practicable.
- John Tyler is pleased with your position on the Texas issue, and is prepared to withdraw his candidacy. Can you give him assurances that certain appointees of his will be safe in their positions, should you be elected?John Tyler lacks any broad base of support. It's more important to reserve these appointments for loyal Democrats.
- Can you elaborate on why your allies intervened so strongly on behalf of Levi Woodbury, to be your running mate?Mr. Woodbury was a critical part of Jackson and Van Buren's Cabinets, and he has the right viewpoint on the Treasury and tariff questions.
- Cassius Clay, a cousin of Henry Clay, has published a letter stating Henry Clay is in accord with the abolitionist movement. Should your party disseminate copies of this letter as an attack?Let's not appear too hasty here. We need to run as a national party and avoid alienating Northerners.
- Do you believe that any Southern Whig can call themselves a supporter of slavery, so long as Henry Clay equivocates on the Texas issue?We don't really need to address this question one way or the other. Let's just run our campaign and get our own views out.
- Do you have any statement on the presence of Theodore Frelinghuysen on the Whig ticket, and his association with known anti-Catholic agitators?We won't have much to say about Frelinghuysen. He seems to avoided the vices which have plagued Henry Clay throughout his life.
- For better or worse, many view you as a protege of Andrew Jackson (some call you “Young Hickory”). Is it better to embrace this label, or to distance yourself from it?There's no need to talk about Andrew Jackson at this point. Let's focus on Texas and other issues of our current time, rather than rehashing the battles of a decade ago.
- Henry Clay supports the idea that the federal government should purchase the telegraph patent and manage the technology. To what extent should you attack him on this?This sounds like the most ridiculous idea yet from Mr. Clay's long public career. I trust that enterprising individuals and companies will develop this technology.
- Should your party attack Henry Clay's personal conduct? His gambling, womanizing, dueling, and generally irreligious nature?I don't think that personal conduct is a good issue to bring into this campaign.
- Silas Wright, the protege and successor to Van Buren, has been mentioned as a candidate for Governor of New York. He seems hesitant. Will you write him a letter imploring him to enter the race?I will put my word in as a supporter of Silas Wright.
- Do you believe that some revenue should be set aside from our tariffs to finance internal improvements, such as canals and roads?Only a very limited amount, for the most compelling projects. Otherwise the tariff should be for revenue purposes only.
- There have recently been riots and armed clashes between nativists and Irish immigrants in Philadelphia and elsewhere. Do you have any plans to condemn the nativist violence in these episodes?I don't want to address civil disorder directly, but we should be clear that we oppose any changes to our naturalization laws.
- What do you make of Martin Van Buren's 1842 visit to Henry Clay's estate? Is Clay too friendly with Northern interests?This episode shows that Mr. Clay is, at heart, an insider who is overly favorable to Northern politicians. It brings to mind the Corrupt Bargain of a prior election.
- Would you support the annexation of Texas, even without an agreement with Mexico, and a possible war?I would hope that we could negotiate an annexation with Mexico before moving forward, to avoid any diplomatic incidents.
- What should your party's position be on the Tariff of 1842, which increased tariffs?We stand steadfast in support of this tariff. It is one of the few positive accomplishments of Mr. Tyler's so-called Presidency.
- What is your current position on the banking system?I stand for a national bank or an independent Treasury -- whichever can gain the most support. I would require any national bank to maintain a branch in every state.
- Do you support an Amendment that would limit the President to a single term in office?This is a necessary step against the overreach and abuse of power of the Executive branch.
- Aside from the issue of Texas, do you support the expansion of the United States in general? Into Oregon, other parts of Mexico, Cuba, etc.?I am against the annexation of Texas. And just to show that this does derive from sectional prejudice, I am also against expansion into Oregon or other regions.
- Would you sign a law that lowered tariffs below the level needed to protect American industry from foreign imports?I would be forced to veto such a measure as President.
- Do you have any statement to make on John Calhoun's “Packenham Letter”, stating slavery to be a positive blessing, and justifying the annexation of Texas as a pro-slavery move?I would not go to the lengths of John Calhoun, but Texas would certainly help expand the market for slavery in our country.
- Do you support any effort to establish a unified, national currency?I support a national bank, and one clear argument for the bank is the total chaos we've had with our currency since 1837.
- Do you agree with Robert Walker's letter, arguing that that slavery issue will be diluted by national expansion?We won't address Mr. Walker's letter directly, but we are in favor of annexation.
- After the unfortunate death of Abel Upshur in the Princeton explosion, John Calhoun succeeded him as Secretary of State. Was this a wise appointment by President Tyler?This is one of the most ill-conceived decisions I have seen in my lifetime.
- Is there a particular state where your party should concentrate its resources and most talented speakers as the election draws near?Pennsylvania