Campaign Trail Results: Game #704951
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2012
- Player Candidate: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Joe Biden
- Difficulty Level: Normal
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
- rsjje
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Mitt Romney | 332 | 67,918,726 | 52.21 |
| ---- Barack Obama | 206 | 60,915,966 | 46.83 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 933,151 | 0.72 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 321,014 | 0.25 |
Visits:
- Pennsylvania:11
- Wisconsin:1
Answers:
- Should the Confederate flag be removed entirely from the South Carolina statehouse grounds?The Confederate Flag is a symbol of slavery, racism, and rebellion against the United States. It's abominable that in 2012, any state could consider flying such a symbol.
- 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.
- How do you view the practice of hydraulic fracturing (aka 'fracking') in the Dakotas and elsewhere?I'm very skeptical of the idea that we can trust oil companies to look out for the interests of the little guy. There should be greater regulations to preserve the safety of our water supply.
- To what extent should offshore drilling be permitted in the Gulf of Mexico?How can we be having this debate only two years after the Deepwater Horizon spill? Gulf Coast oil drilling should be severely restricted or banned.
- How long should U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan?U.S. troops should leave immediately.
- 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 The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.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.
- Would it help our economy if government employment was increased? Or would this divert valuable resources from the private sector?Government employment should be increased during recessions to mitigate the effects of a drop in private sector output.
- Does it still make sense to provide military aid to Pakistan's government?Osama Bin Laden was living in a mansion that the government paid for with our money. It's time for this relationship to end.
- 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.
- Do you have any comment to make on the performance of Ben Bernanke as Chairman of the Federal Reserve?I'm a little disappointed with the overly cautious stance Bernanke has taken towards interest rates and other programs. By raising the inflation target we could reduce the burden of our private and public debt and spark a more vigorous recovery.
- Should American workers have the right to invest their Social Security withholdings in private accounts?We definitely need to make some changes to the Social Security program, but this is going too far.
- What is your opinion on the Occupy Wall Street movement?Occupy Wall Street is a great force in American life. It's unfortunate that the corporate-controlled media has worked so hard to marginalize this group.
- Should federal fuel taxes be slightly increased (they have been the same since 1993) to avoid another catastrophe like the Minnesota bridge collapse of 2007?I don't see a problem with a small increase. We should be encouraging other forms of transportation, and on top of that our highways are woefully underfunded.
- 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.
- Tell us how you feel about the Keystone Pipeline.It's shameful that we're even having a debate on this. It just goes to show how much influence oil companies have at the highest levels of government.
- Christina Romer -- formerly the Chairperson on your Council of Economic Advisors -- stated in 2009 that unemployment would be less than 6% by 2012 if the stimulus package was enacted. What went wrong, and did the results of the stimulus have any bearing on her resignation?First of all, this had no bearing on her decision to leave the Obama Administration. Secondly, the economy was in much worse shape in early 2009 than anyone realized. Since that time we have repeatedly tried to pass additional stimulus measures and have been thwarted by House Republicans at every opportunity.
- What will be the overriding theme of your nomination speech at the Democratic Convention?I will talk at great length about how we've drifted from the tradition of liberalism that was built by the likes of Roosevelt, Johnson, and Humphrey. I will reaffirm my commitment to this vision in my second term.
- Do FEMA insurance payouts encourage real estate developers to build in disaster prone areas?It would be inhumane to suggest that we shouldn't be giving payouts to people who lose everything in a natural disaster.
- Joe Biden made what can only be described as a gaffe on the campaign trail today. What are your comments?What can you say? We've all been out here for weeks with very little sleep. No one knows more about foreign policy than Joe Biden, so I'm sure it was just a slip of the tongue.
- What is your guiding foreign policy philosophy?Human Rights -- It's past time that we cut allegiances with dictators like the House of Saud and truly lived up to our ideals. I will only support or give aid to democratically elected leaders.
- In the most general terms, what will be your overall campaign strategy against Romney?I will pledge a new commitment to liberalism and economic revival. Our social programs and unions need to be protected. In those areas where Republicans continue to stand in the way of progress, we will look for other ways to get things done.
- 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.