Campaign Trail Results: Game #743928
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 1960
- Player Candidate: John F. Kennedy
- Running Mate: Lyndon Johnson
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- John F. Kennedy | 379 | 34,501,349 | 51.66 |
| ---- Richard Nixon | 144 | 31,946,209 | 47.84 |
| ---- Harry Byrd | 14 | 332,557 | 0.50 |
Visits:
- Ohio:4
- California:3
- Michigan:2
- Colorado:1
- Texas:1
- Utah:1
Answers:
- What kind of tone will you attempt to set in your campaign this fall?I have always been on the more moderate wing of the party. We need to emphasize my anti-Communism and my record as a Senator if we hope to win back the Eisenhower Democrats.
- What do you have to say about the selection of Lyndon Johnson as your running mate?Lyndon Johnson is a loyal Southerner and Senator from Texas who will spare no effort to advance a Democratic agenda.
- Lady Bird Johnson, LBJ's wife, has been spat on by a gathering of far-right protestors in a Dallas hotel lobby. What are your thoughts?I have no real comment to make, but I'm sure that the voters in Texas will be incensed at the incivility of this episode.
- There has been a proposal for a series of television debates between you and Kennedy. Is this something you are interested in?I would love to go against Nixon in a televised debate. We could use the exposure and I'm confident that I would win.
- Anti-Catholicism has been a huge issue thus far in the campaign, with hundreds of pamphlets and leaflets being distributed across the South and Midwest. Do you have any comment?Let's gather some of these leaflets and show them to the media and to major newspapers. I think they demonstrate the lengths that some people will go to discredit my candidacy.
- Anti-Catholicism continues to be an issue. Major newspapers have published a statement by 150 Protestant clergy, including Norman Vincent Peale, opposing any Catholic as President. Do you have any comment?Let's take this opportunity to make a major speech on the topic. I will address this issue exclusively in a televised speech, and put it to rest for good.
- There have been a large number of sit-ins recently, where black students and activists are sitting at whites-only lunch counters and department stores to advocate for desegregation. Do you support this movement?I support the civil rights movement, but I'm a little concerned about the disregard for the law that some of these activists have shown.
- Richard Nixon has made "experience" the centerpiece of his campaign. What do you have to say on this point?I question this premise, to be frank. It's still not clear to me exactly what role Nixon had in the Eisenhower Administration, or what policies of his have been implemented.
- There was a recent effort in Congress to pass a program to provide medical care to elderly Americans, but it was narrowly defeated. Will you make a further push for this type of program as President?I would redouble our efforts on this front. Too many of our nation's elderly are unable to afford decent medical care in their advanced years.
- Do you believe that the islands of Quemoy and Matsu should fall within the United States defense perimeter in Asia?It wouldn't be responsible of me to comment at this point. As President I will consult with our military leaders to determine what is appropriate.
- Currently the highest income tax bracket pays a rate of 91%. Will you work harder to cut tax rates as President?I would be open to this, depending on how the economy goes in the next year or two.
- Is the United States adequately prepared to defend against the Soviet threat today?Cuba has been lost to the Soviet Union, providing a potential base for Communist aggression on the very doorstep of our nation. I am very unsatisfied with the current situation.
- Do you believe the United States is adequately prepared to defend against the Soviet threat over the next ten years?I don't know, to be perfectly frank. Things are going well for now, but we will have many challenges to meet in places like Cuba, Lebanon, Latin America, Indochina, and elsewhere.
- During the Great Depression, the federal government began a policy of farm subsidies to stabilize farm incomes and to target a specific output of each crop. Are these policies still necessary in 1960?They are absolutely necessary. Farmers are not in a good position to bargain for their crops, and any economic weakness in that sector can easily cause a recession in the broader economy.
- Would you support the passage of a federal civil rights bill as President to address the worst excesses of segregation in the South?This is something that is more appropriately addressed by individual states, though I will do anything I can to enforce the decisions of our Supreme Court.
- Recently, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested at a sit-in in Atlanta, and has now been sentenced to four months in prison for failing to get a Georgia driver's license after moving to that state. Do you have any comment or action you would like to take?Let's make a call to Mrs. King to offer our condolences, and let's demand the release of Mr. King.
- Are you satisfied with the economy and the economic policies of this country over the past eight years?We must do better. Our present Administration has advocated a hard money policy which caused the recession of 1958 and left idle industrial capacity in our country.
- How serious, at the current time, do you believe the internal Communist threat is?The last thing we need is a return to excesses and witch-hunts of the early 1950s. We need to keep ourselves focused on the external Communist threat.
- Do you believe that Cuba has been lost to the Communists as of this time? If so, do you think it is partially the fault of the United States?We will defend our base at Guantanamo and do anything else that is necessary if Cuba continues its hostility. However, it is too early to make a conclusive determination at this point.
- Should the United States apologize to the Soviet Union for the controversy surrounding the downed U-2 spy plane and surrounding espionage?Absolutely not. We cannot show weakness in the face of the Soviet threat, and the Paris Summit collapsed from the intransigence of Nikita Khrushchev.
- Did Dwight Eisenhower do the right thing when he sent federal troops to Little Rock to ensure the integration of the high school there?I believe that Eisenhower did what he had to do in this case, to make sure the decisions of our Supreme Court are enforced.
- What would you do as President to combat increasing unemployment in America's industrial cities?We need lower taxes, fewer regulations, and a smaller federal government. This will encourage private enterprise and spur a recovery to our industrial capacity.
- What is your position on the power of labor unions in the United States?I support unions and I oppose the excesses of leaders such as Jimmy Hoffa. Unions, cleansed of their corrupt elements, should play a central role in the American economy.
- Do you believe that current levels of defense spending are adequate?We can always find areas for improvement, but we have successfully defended the United States and our allies from numerous Communist threats over the past eight years.
- Where will you spend your final day before the election?We will focus on the Midwest.