Campaign Trail Results: Game #586924
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 1976
- Player Candidate: Gerald Ford
- Running Mate: John Connally
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Jimmy Carter | 458 | 41,740,445 | 52.03 |
| ---- Gerald Ford | 80 | 36,783,217 | 45.85 |
| ---- Other Candidates | 0 | 902,068 | 1.12 |
| ---- Eugene McCarthy | 0 | 803,776 | 1.00 |
Visits:
- New York:5
- Texas:5
- Illinois:1
- Pennsylvania:1
Answers:
- You have selected John Connally as your running mate. Can you speak a little more about that?John Connally has served his home state of Texas well, and he is the best man for the job.
- 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?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?Not really. I'm the President and Carter is an upstart from Georgia. Let's keep it that way.
- 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 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.
- 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.We have to consider each case individually. New York was a one time thing, and they also had to make significant reforms before this loan was approved.
- 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?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?I'm personally opposed to abortion, but I respect this decision and will not try to overturn it.
- Do you think that the tax cuts in early 1975 were the right economic policy for this country?I believe that any recovery that has occurred was incidental to those tax cuts. The cause was a combination of natural economic strength and increased spending.
- How can we best prevent another episode like the 1973 oil crisis, which paralyzed the country?We need to do anything we can, including reducing our consumption, working for peace deals, producing domestically, and stabilizing our relationships with oil-producing allies.
- Do you have a position on the gun control issue?I'm an opponent of gun control overall, but some common-sense measures like the 1968 Act are appropriate.
- Do you think that the Panama Canal should be turned back over to Panama?Absolutely not. The United States built this canal and it is a central part of world commerce. Who knows what might happen if we put Panama in charge.
- Should there be a ban on nuclear weapons testing?I believe we should implement an immediate moratorium on the testing of nuclear devices.
- 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?I can see both sides of this issue, but if Congress passes this Act I won't veto it as President.
- Would you support a law for universal health care in this country?I think it is a noble goal, but it would add too much of a financial burden to the federal budget, which is already running a deficit.
- 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.