Campaign Trail Results: Game #1517163
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 1976
- Player Candidate: Gerald Ford
- Running Mate: John Connally
- Difficulty Level: Normal
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
- rcgreen0517
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Jimmy Carter | 370 | 41,306,300 | 50.70 |
| ---- Gerald Ford | 168 | 38,436,149 | 47.18 |
| ---- Other Candidates | 0 | 934,705 | 1.15 |
| ---- Eugene McCarthy | 0 | 798,010 | 0.98 |
Visits:
- Texas:5
- Utah:3
- California:1
- Florida:1
- Mississippi:1
- Nebraska:1
Answers:
- What will your overall campaign strategy be this year?I'm an approachable, open guy with an open Administration. Let's emphasize my mainstream values and positions, and avoid extremist rhetoric or attacks on Jimmy Carter.
- A lot of voters are concerned about honesty and integrity in our government. What can you say about yourself in this aspect, particularly in light of your pardon of Richard Nixon?I've taken our country and led it past the nightmares of Watergate and Vietnam. Anyone can see that I've led an open, honest Administration.
- Your Secretary of Agriculture, Earl Butz, will be quoted in next week's Rolling Stone as making some very crude and racist jokes. Some have suggested you fire him before the article is released. What are your thoughts?I agree. We can't have this kind of thing on the Ford Administration. He should leave immediately.
- There is talk of a Presidential Debate for the first time since 1960. Is this something that you're interested in doing?I think this is a good idea, and we need something to shake this campaign up.
- Betty Ford is out there making some pretty bold statements about sexuality, marijuana, and other topics. Conservatives want to know if you can have a quiet chat with her to tone it down a bit.What do you want me to say? She's my wife. Can't people find something better to worry about?
- You have vetoed a significant number of bills in your two years as President. What was your reasoning?The Democrats, with their huge majorities, have passed bill after bill outside of the American mainstream. I've been left with little choice.
- Some of your operatives want to attack Carter for the way he has equivocated on abortion, gun control, busing, labor issues, and so on. Will you approve a series of ads labeling him as a "flip-flopper"? The American people deserve to hear the truth. I support this strategy.
- Your campaign has just received a big break in the form of a controversial interview that Carter did with Playboy, where he confessed to "committing adultery in his heart" and used some coarse language. Any thoughts?This is great. We need any good news we can get at this point.
- You have selected John Connally as your running mate. Can you speak a little more about that?Connally was a loyal Democrat for many years, but anyone can see how their party has lurched away from the mainstream. I think he can remind Americans that Republicans are the sensible, governing party in this country.
- What is your position on the federal government making loans to states or cities in need of financial help? An obvious recent example is the $2.3 billion bailout of New York city.These types of bailouts support big government, big labor machine politics at the expense of everyone else. There's no way I would support this kind of deal.
- What is your position on a pardon of Vietnam War draft evaders?Of course this war was controversial, but I oppose any pardon for people who evaded their military service. This would not send the right message in a future crisis.
- Do you support the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, which states "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."?I oppose this Amendment, as many labor unions do, because it would jeopardize protections for female workers in areas such as working hours or tasks.
- What is your opinion on the court-ordered busing of students within school districts, in a way designed to achieve racial balance in our schools?I am opposed to these plans and believe that the courts have erred greatly.
- Do you believe that the United States can afford a reduction in defense spending?As President I will remain vigilant against the Soviet threat. Under no circumstances would I decrease our defense budget.
- What is your opinion on abortion, and specifically the recent Roe v. Wade decision?People disagree on this practice and decision, but the Supreme Court deserves our respect.
- Do you think that the tax cuts in early 1975 were the right economic policy for this country?Unfortunately these cuts were pretty limited. I would prefer larger tax cuts and a reduction in government spending.
- How can we best prevent another episode like the 1973 oil crisis, which paralyzed the country?I'm a big supporter of domestic oil production. One thing we can definitely do is begin to drill in Alaska.
- What is your position on right-to-work laws? Would you support a national bill to repeal Taft-Hartley and do away with right-to-work?I go more the other way on this issue. I think that more states should be right-to-work. Unions dangerously distort the economy and the political process.
- Should there be a ban on nuclear weapons testing?This is an issue I'd have to consider carefully, but perhaps if we got the Soviet Union on board I'd be open to it.
- The United States started selling large amounts of grain to the Soviet Union, in 1973. What is your opinion on this policy?This policy helps support an unsustainable Soviet system. I believe that we should never bail out communism from its failures if we're serious about winning the Cold War.
- In 1972, George McGovern proposed replacing the income tax exemption with a $1,000 guaranteed minimum income, for every American citizen. Are you interested in this type of proposal?This kind of idea is way off the mark. We need to focus on reducing the size of government and lowering taxes.
- Do you support the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act?Absolutely I do. We should not tolerate high unemployment in this country, and this Act provides the tools to prevent it.
- Would you support a law for universal health care in this country?Absolutely not. Not only would this ruin the federal budget, but it would also eliminate competition and lead to substandard health care for the vast majority of Americans.
- What are your feelings in the Gregg v. Georgia case, recently decided, that allows capital punishment in the U.S.?This is a positive step forward for our criminal justice system. Certain crimes, like murder, demand such punishment if true justice is to prevail.
- Where will you focus your efforts on the last day before the election?We will focus on the Southwest, starting in New Mexico and Oklahoma, and finishing in Texas.