Campaign Trail Results: Game #644258
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 1976
- Player Candidate: Gerald Ford
- Running Mate: Howard Baker
- 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 | 513 | 45,430,979 | 55.68 |
| ---- Gerald Ford | 25 | 34,311,426 | 42.05 |
| ---- Other Candidates | 0 | 986,657 | 1.21 |
| ---- Eugene McCarthy | 0 | 866,091 | 1.06 |
Visits:
- Michigan:4
- California:2
- Alabama:1
- Missouri:1
- Nebraska:1
- New York:1
- Tennessee:1
- Texas:1
Answers:
- What will your overall campaign strategy be this year?We barely defeated Ronald Reagan to win our nomination in the first place. We should take conservative positions and make sure we shore up our support in that area.
- 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?What about the honesty and integrity of Jimmy Carter? Whether it's abortion, gun control, busing, or labor, he's taken both sides of too many issues to count.
- 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?A couple of bad jokes shouldn't ruin someone's career. Let's keep him on board.
- 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?This is an issue that has been blown way out of proportion. In many of these cases, I've proposed my own alternative to a given bill, and Congress has acted on it.
- 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?I will hold a press conference and remind people that we really don't know anything about this guy. What other hidden, perverse notions does he have?
- You have selected Howard Baker as your running mate. Can you speak a little more about that?Howard Baker knows how to get things done in Washington, and he has always fought hard for the Republican agenda.
- 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.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?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 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?This is a necessary step to enforce the Brown decision and uphold the ideals of America.
- 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 am a pro-choice candidate, and I support the Roe v. Wave decision.
- 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?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'd like to see more widespread licensing and registration of handguns and rifles, but it has been repeatedly defeated in the past.
- Do you think that the Panama Canal should be turned back over to Panama?This is an issue I would have to consider more closely over the next couple of years. Let's see how the current negotiations go.
- 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.
- 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?It would depend on things like how the law worked, and how we would pay for it. But I'm not opposed to it in theory.
- 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.