Campaign Trail Results: Game #365888
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:
- bd33621
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Barack Obama | 348 | 70,223,818 | 54.13 |
| ---- Mitt Romney | 190 | 58,416,126 | 45.03 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 811,432 | 0.63 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 276,738 | 0.21 |
Visits:
- Georgia:7
- Missouri:2
- North Carolina:2
- Florida:1
Answers:
- Some involved with the space program have suggested sending astronauts to Mars, or even forming moon colonies. What is your take?Absolutely. We need a return to the days when America dreamed big, and when children were inspired to reach for the stars.
- 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.
- 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 The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.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.
- Overall, are you satisfied with the trade relationship between the U.S. and China?This relationship has its pros and cons. China should be doing more to live up to their end of our trade agreements, and they must stop manipulating their currency.
- Do you support continued subsidies for the production of ethanol fuel?These subsidies were well-intentioned, but I think that solar and wind have more long-term potential.
- Would it help our economy if government employment was increased? Or would this divert valuable resources from the private sector?I think it's a bad thing that overall government employment has dropped during the recession. This continues to be one the biggest obstacles to a stronger recovery.
- Does it still make sense to provide military aid to Pakistan's government?Further aid should be directly tied to Pakistan's continuing progress towards openness and democracy.
- Should all private insurance plans be required to cover contraceptives and birth control?This is a fundamental right for women. Birth control speaks to the heart of controlling one's own destiny in life, and using it has practical health benefits as well.
- 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.
- How much attack advertising will your campaign use?If our opponent does that kind of thing, then we will certainly follow suit.
- 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.
- Federal funding for Community Health Centers has more than doubled in the past ten years to over $2 billion annually. Is this an example of out of control government spending?We need much greater spending to protect our most vulnerable citizens, but the least we can do is to make sure that existing programs like this one are protected from right-wing demagogues.
- The most recent data (for 2010) on Pell Grants indicate that 60% of all college students receive one. In that same year, the program cost $36 billion. What changes, if any, would you recommend to this program?Students are the future of this country and they need all the help they can get to make it through college, especially considering how much tuition has been increased over the past few years.
- Who are the real job creators in this country -- hardworking American citizens or Washington bureaucrats?American small business, obviously. I will be their champion as President.
- What is the best way to make college more affordable for young people?If we had more federal funding for student loans and grants, it would make college more accessible to underprivileged students. I also support increased grants to the states to support their state university systems.
- After episodes such as the 'flash crash' in 2010, would you support a small financial transactions tax, with the sole purpose being to target high-frequency trading systems?I'm confident that the Financial Stability Oversight Council, created by the Dodd-Frank bill, will be effective in preventing excessive risk in the financial sector.
- What do you think the next steps should be in regards to Medicare?We must do whatever it takes to preserve Medicare. This program is one of the most important functions of the federal government.
- Mitt Romney was the CEO of Bain Capital for many years. What can you say about his time at that firm?We plan to attack Romney's record relentlessly. He oversaw numerous outsourcings and corporate downsizings in his time as CEO, and his company represents the dark side of American business.
- Some liberals say that you have done more to help Wall Street banks than hard-working Americans. Are you open to a more universal program of mortgage write-downs if housing prices continue to decline?Mortgage write-downs may serve to further undermine our nation's housing recovery. If we stay the course now, the prices of these homes will eventually increase again to a more sustainable level. This will benefit everyone who holds a mortgage.
- What will be the overriding theme of your nomination speech at the Democratic Convention?I will talk about the myriad methods that the Republicans use to divide our country. I will remind everyone that Democrats are truly the party of the common person -- regardless of background or income level.
- Do you think Hillary Clinton would make a good Presidential candidate in 2016?It's way too early to speculate on the 2016 election. We need to keep our attention on the here and now.
- 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?Behind the scenes my surrogates have plenty of dirt to spread about Romney and the Republicans. As President, I will stick to a message of optimism and hope in my own campaign speeches.
- Some on the left thought that you were not very vigorous in your opposition to the anti-union policies of Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin. What do you have to say about this?Of course I am opposed to the policies of Scott Walker. The only reason I wasn't in Wisconsin on the day of his recall election was that I needed to campaign in more competitive states to maximize our chances of winning this fall.