Campaign Trail Results: Game #796141
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2012
- Player Candidate: Mitt Romney
- Running Mate: Rob Portman
- Difficulty Level: Impossible
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Barack Obama | 528 | 82,163,334 | 63.82 |
| ---- Mitt Romney | 10 | 44,868,004 | 34.85 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 1,315,435 | 1.02 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 394,423 | 0.31 |
Visits:
- Florida:8
- Alaska:2
- Hawaii:1
- Texas:1
Answers:
- What is your opinion on the detention center at Guantanamo Bay? Would you consider closing it after the election?The center at Guantanamo should definitely be closed. The only thing preventing it so far is obstructionism from the Republican Congress. Furthermore, there is no evidence that half of these detainees are even terrorists.
- Some observers have argued that an embargo of Cuba makes little sense in a post Cold War environment. What do you think?I absolutely agree. The embargo against Cuba is a disgrace.
- 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.
- Should the United States contribute funds to help stabilize the European Union's sovereign debt problems, in order to prevent a possible debt contagion?I support a bailout of the European Union if necessary. Waiting until this debt contagion causes a double-dip recession in the U.S. is not an option.
- Would you support posting active U.S. Army troops on the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent illegal immigration and drug smuggling?This is probably unconstitutional and would represent another step in the transformation of our country into a police state.
- 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 The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.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.
- We have now had 10 years to analyze the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act. Do you think it is time for a change?I question the premise that the Department of Education should be providing funds in the first place. Education is a local concern.
- In general, do you think bilingual education programs are a good idea?Absolutely. It it discriminatory not to allow American students to learn in their native languages.
- 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.
- Is it time for the federal government to cut spending, even with the economy growing at less than 2% annually?Absolutely not. If anything, we should be increasing the size of government right now to fight the stagnant economy. Had the size of the initial Stimulus Act in 2009 been sufficient, for instance, we wouldn't be having these problems now.
- 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.
- Do you think reduced penalties and increased treatment for drug users would help reduce the flow of drugs from Latin America?That solution is so obvious that it's a shame it hasn't been implemented yet. Without a market for drugs in the United States, there would be no cartels.
- What is your opinion on the Tea Party movement?A funny thing happened on January 20, 2009 -- millions of people who supported Bush's deficits suddenly flip-flopped into budget hawks. This group is obviously just a political front for the far right wing of the Republican Party.
- 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.
- The most recent data (for 2010) on Pell Grants indicate that 60% of all college students receive one. In that same year, the program cost $36 billion. What changes, if any, would you recommend to this program?In Europe, secondary education is publicly funded. I'm just pointing that out...
- The most recent poll showed you slipping by a couple of percentage points. Are you planning on making any changes in your campaign to address this?The only day that matters is election day. I think the fundamental incompetence of my opponent will be obvious by that point.
- Some theorists have suggested that the government create guaranteed jobs at the federal minimum wage, to help support the labor market. Is this something that you would consider?If we created jobs like this at a set minimum wage, it would benefit everyone. Private sector wages would increase and economic insecurity would be greatly mitigated for millions of people.
- During your tenure, Bain Capital laid off thousands of workers at various companies that it purchased. Are you proud of your work at that company?We all made mistakes when we were younger. I'm no exception.
- Recent reports have highlighted the large amount of money that you and your wife spend on racing horses. Have you ever bet more than $10,000 on a horse race?Sometimes if you feel strongly about something, you have to back that up with a little cash. $10,000 is nothing for someone who's as wealthy as I am.
- Scott Brown is currently fighting the good fight in the Massachusetts Senate race. Would you be open to offering him a position in your Administration if he falls short there?I'm not sure about that to be honest. Scott Brown is a bit moderate for the kind of Republican I envision having in my cabinet. We'd rather have staunch, reliable conservatives on the team.
- What will be the overriding theme of your nomination speech at the Republican Convention?I will address the long-term danger that liberalism has to create an ossified, uncreative society. I will also emphasize the danger to our individual and collective rights that is inherent Obama's philosophy.
- What is your guiding foreign policy philosophy?Non-Intervention -- Most of our foreign troop deployments are relics of the Cold War. We need to stop occupying other nations and focus on fixing our problems here at home.
- In the most general terms, what will be your overall campaign strategy against Obama?We will attack Barack Obama relentlessly. He has gone back on his pledge to clean up our political system, he has destroyed hundreds of thousands of jobs in his first term, his values are out of touch with those of most Americans, and his health care reform is disastrous.