Campaign Trail Results: Game #748248
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2000
- Player Candidate: George W. Bush
- Running Mate: Tom Ridge
- Difficulty Level: Impossible
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Al Gore | 538 | 59,724,447 | 56.02 |
| ---- George W. Bush | 0 | 34,859,542 | 32.70 |
| ---- Pat Buchanan | 0 | 8,814,770 | 8.27 |
| ---- Ralph Nader | 0 | 3,213,417 | 3.01 |
Visits:
- Utah:12
Answers:
- Which of the following best describes your position on the $200 billion surplus that is projected for this year?We need to expand benefits for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. We can use the surplus as well as defense cuts to balance these increases.
- Which of the following best describes your position on education?We need to increase pay for teachers and increase funding for the Department of Education. I don't support nationwide standards or testing -- they will distort the learning process and lead to education by rote.
- Which of the following best describes your position on Social Security?The Social Security system is a financial time bomb. We need to get rid of it, or at the very least cut its benefits significantly.
- What is your vision for the foreign policy of this country?The Cold War is over. We should cut defense spending and stop operating so many bases overseas. I would pull troops out of places like Germany and Okinawa, where we are no longer defending anything.
- Do you have any thoughts on the Bill Clinton scandal that you would like to share?This is a non-issue. Bill Clinton is one the best Presidents of the last fifty years, and we should be focusing on his policies and successes, not his personal affairs.
- Do you believe that Elian Gonzalez should have been returned to Cuba?The law is the law. Elian belongs in Cuba with his father. These questions are never easy, but the Clinton Administration and Janet Reno did what they had to do.
- Did you support Bill Clinton's actions leading to the bombing of Serbia?I support our actions in this theatre. For minimal cost we were able to stop a potential genocide and put a dictator to justice.
- Do you have any plans to change American tax policy?I have no plan to cut taxes. If anything, we might need some increases to strengthen Social Security.
- What are your thoughts on the USS Cole bombing, which has killed 17 American sailors. How should we prevent such incidents of terrorism in the future?This attack was a tragedy, but it underscores the need to the United States to have a more limited foreign policy. The Cold War is over, and it doesn't make sense to deploy troops in so many parts of the world.
- Do you support additional gun control measures in this country? Can you give some specifics of what you want?The only way we will end gun violence in this country is through large-scale legislation and the confiscation of troublesome weapons. The Second Amendment was never meant to apply to individuals.
- The Kyoto Protocol would commit the United States (along with many other countries) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Would you support this plan as President?We have worked for years with many other countries to negotiate this agreement. I support the environment and believe the Protocol should be ratified.
- Do you support the air strikes and sanctions that have been levied against Iraq, with the goal of weakening Saddam Hussein?The United States is much too entangled in the Middle East. We should pull back from the region and end sanctions in Iraq. I might remind people that these sanctions have killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children.
- What is your position on abortion?I strongly support the right of a woman to choose. We need to defend this right, and we should increase funding for women's health services, unconditionally.
- Do you believe it is appropriate for Hillary Clinton to run for Senate in the state of New York -- a state where she has never lived?The Clintons have added a greatly to the political life of the United States. I support Hillary Clinton in her campaign.
- Do you think that new regulations from Bill Clinton have unfairly hurt coal-producing states?Unfortunately, coal is one of the dirtiest forms of energy in existence. I don't see how we can continue to rely on it for the majority of America's energy needs.
- What do you think of proposals to build a sophisticated missile defense system in Eastern Europe?To defend against whom? The Cold War is over and we should be working with Russia, not against them. This is just more unnecessary military spending.
- What key points will you emphasize as you accept your party's nomination for President of the United States?As President, I will work with Republicans and Democrats to advocate for programs that all Americans can approve of. We need to move past the divisiveness of recent years and strengthen our economy, Social Security, education, and Medicare. I would prefer to return some of the budget surplus to the people, but I am willing to compromise to get things done.
- What is your overall strategy for the 2000 campaign?I will campaign as a conciliatory, moderate conservative. I will emphasize my record as the Governor of Texas, and my support across different groups and parties. We will minimize any talk of budget cuts or overturning existing programs. We will resist the temptation to criticize Bill Clinton.
- Another day, another rally on the campaign trail. What do you prefer to talk about today?We need to attack Al Gore's views on the environment, on energy, on taxes, on spending, and on the right direction for our country. He is out of touch with the American people.
- Where will you make the final stop(s) of your campaign before the voting begins?I will appear in Pennsylvania and spend the latter half of the day in Ohio. These are two huge states that we can bring into the fold.
- It is November 2nd, only five days before the voting. News has just broken that you were arrested for drunken driving in 1976. What is your response?I will admit my guilt and apologize to the American people for hiding this story. I will say it was a mistake in judgment to believe that this would not come to light in our modern media environment.
- What is your opinion on the performance and conduct of our current President, Bill Clinton?We can all learn a lot from Bill Clinton's ability to compromise with Congress and pursue a moderate political agenda. I will do the same as President.
- Do you have anything to say about your alleged drug use in the 1970s?These stories are absolutely false. I never used illegal drugs and those who say I did are completely mistaken.
- Some suggest you lack the experience and qualifications for to be President. What do you say?James Buchanan had a lot of experience in government. Abraham Lincoln didn't. So what if I'm a little unseasoned? I have the instincts for the job.
- Some pro-life groups are concerned about your selection of Tom Ridge as running mate. Can you speak more about him?Tom Ridge has served his home state of Pennsylvania well. It would be a shame to ignore that because of a litmus test on one issue.