Campaign Trail Results: Game #1366982
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2012
- Player Candidate: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Joe Biden
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Barack Obama | 303 | 66,537,229 | 51.81 |
| ---- Mitt Romney | 235 | 60,778,486 | 47.33 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 827,144 | 0.64 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 283,683 | 0.22 |
Visits:
- Florida:3
- Ohio:2
- Colorado:1
- Iowa:1
- Michigan:1
- Minnesota:1
- Nevada:1
- New Hampshire:1
- North Carolina:1
Answers:
- What is your opinion on the detention center at Guantanamo Bay? Would you consider closing it after the election?The center at Guantanamo should definitely be closed. The only thing preventing it so far is obstructionism from the Republican Congress. Furthermore, there is no evidence that half of these detainees are even terrorists.
- Should the government be doing more to stabilize home prices?There should be a federal program to cover any shortfall when a homeowner is forced to sell for less than the value of their mortgage.
- Should the Confederate flag be removed entirely from the South Carolina statehouse grounds?The Confederate Flag is a symbol of slavery, racism, and rebellion against the United States. It's abominable that in 2012, any state could consider flying such a symbol.
- 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.
- The water level of Lake Mead (the reservoir near Hoover Dam) has been steadily dropping in recent years. Should the Bureau of Reclamation regulate the use of this water more strictly?Yes. People will continue to move into the region and place an unsustainable burden on the water supply unless the price accurately reflects current and future scarcity.
- 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 The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.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?I support letting the cuts expire. It's time that wealthy Americans paid their fair share for the opportunities our society gives to them.
- 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.
- Would you support a Constitutional Amendment to overturn some provisions of the Citizens United ruling, affecting campaign finance by PAC's?I would be happy to disavow the use of Super PAC advertising if my opponent would as well. Unfortunately the other side will do anything to win this election, regardless of how it aligns with the will of the public.
- 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?This is the wrong way to go about balancing the budget. I oppose these cuts.
- Would you advocate cutting Peace Corps funding to help address the deficit?This is a valuable component of our international presence. We should maintain the funding we have in place, which is miniscule in proportion to our overall budget.
- 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.
- Should large banks like Chase, Citibank, and Bank of America be broken up to reduce the risk of another financial crisis?That's not the best solution for us to take. The last thing we need right now in the financial sector is some kind of arbitrary, destabilizing government action.
- Should military spending be cut to help reduce the deficit? If so, by how much?Compared to our potential adversaries, we spend a colossal amount on our military infrastructure. Certainly any attempt to reduce our deficit should include a few cuts in the military.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Supreme Court will be deciding an affirmative action case this fall involving the University of Texas. Should colleges be allowed to consider the race of an applicant when deciding whether to admit them?Increased diversity is a valid goal for any administration. Students learn better when they are exposed to a variety of perspectives, and colleges should have a right to admit the best mix of students for their campus.
- 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.
- The 2012 Federal Highway Bill that you signed bars the use of federal funds for red-light traffic cameras. Do you agree with this provision?Of course I agree with this. I am a little uncomfortable with using federal funds for those types of cameras.
- Over half of all sexual harassment complaints filed in 2011 were dismissed -- an increase from previous years. Do you think enough is being done to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?I'm very concerned about this issue. I would like to see our funding level increase for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, so that adequate resources are in place to pursue these claims.
- Joe Biden made what can only be described as a gaffe on the campaign trail today. What are your comments?What can you say? We've all been out here for weeks with very little sleep. No one knows more about foreign policy than Joe Biden, so I'm sure it was just a slip of the tongue.
- 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?I will pledge a new commitment to liberalism and economic revival. Our social programs and unions need to be protected. In those areas where Republicans continue to stand in the way of progress, we will look for other ways to get things done.