Campaign Trail Results: Game #419120
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 1976
- Player Candidate: Gerald Ford
- Running Mate: John Anderson
- Difficulty Level: Impossible
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Jimmy Carter | 454 | 42,483,952 | 52.39 |
| ---- Gerald Ford | 84 | 36,893,705 | 45.49 |
| ---- Other Candidates | 0 | 914,162 | 1.13 |
| ---- Eugene McCarthy | 0 | 803,955 | 0.99 |
Visits:
- Arizona:2
- Illinois:2
- Mississippi:2
- Alaska:1
- Florida:1
- Michigan:1
- New York:1
- Ohio:1
- Texas:1
Answers:
- What will your overall campaign strategy be this year?I am the President of the United States and we should exploit that fact. Show me presiding over the Bicentennial, meeting with Queen Elizabeth, and generally looking like a President. My record speaks for itself.
- 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 will let the cameras into the White House so the people can see for themselves. I'm a normal, approachable, friendly President. I didn't spend my whole life trying to run for the office.
- 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?Let's have him leave the day that the article comes out. That way the connection is clear.
- 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.My wife's public approval rating is something like 75%. I wish I had her touch with the media.
- 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 problem is, if we go negative against Carter, he's sure to hammer us on the Nixon pardon. We really have a lot to lose here.
- 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 Anderson as your running mate. Can you speak a little more about that?John Anderson has served his home state of Illinois well, and he is the best man for the job.
- Ronald Reagan and some of his allies can't hide their disappointment in your running mate, and some of them are even saying Carter is better than a Ford-Anderson Administration. Do you have any comment?John Anderson is a lifelong Republican and he has the right views on all the important issues for our country. We need a guy like him if we hope to win the independent voters away from Jimmy Carter.
- General George Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has made some comments that Israel has become a "burden" to the national defense effort. Do you agree with this?I disagree strongly and believe that General Brown should be removed from this position for such comments. Israel is one of our most valued allies.
- 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.I couldn't really comment until I saw what the specifics of the case would be.
- What is your position on a pardon of Vietnam War draft evaders?I would need to think about this issue a little more before reaching a final decision.
- 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 support the passage of this Amendment, and think it is a good thing for America.
- 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 believe that ways can be found to minimize forced busing while also remaining true to the Nation's ideals and our educational goals.
- Do you believe that the United States can afford a reduction in defense spending?I don't support cuts, to be sure, but neither do we need increases. We have made great strides in reducing tension with the Soviet Union.
- 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?This was a good policy. Our economy has rebounded considerably since early 1975, and millions of new jobs have been created.
- Do you have a position on the gun control issue?Gun control is ineffective in reducing crime rates. I think a better option would be to examine our sentencing guidelines, and make sure that we put criminals in jail.
- The United States started selling large amounts of grain to the Soviet Union, in 1973. What is your opinion on this policy?I don't really care too much one way or the other. As long as we have sufficient supplies in the U.S., we should ship grain to whoever will pay for it.
- 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.
- Could we have done more to save South Vietnam in 1975, such as air strikes or a limited engagement?We did our best in Vietnam, but unfortunately things didn't turn out the way we wanted.
- Do you support the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act?This Act has no basis in economic reality. If we could wave a magic wand and ensure 3% unemployment and 0% inflation with a balanced budget and no trade deficit, do you think we wouldn't have done it already?
- 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.
- Where will you focus your efforts on the last day before the election?The Midwest is critical. We'll hit as many states as we can between Iowa and Ohio.