Campaign Trail Results: Game #804562
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2012
- Player Candidate: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Joe Biden
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Barack Obama | 347 | 69,501,876 | 53.77 |
| ---- Mitt Romney | 191 | 58,624,618 | 45.36 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 811,019 | 0.63 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 315,103 | 0.24 |
Visits:
- Georgia:7
- North Carolina:3
- Missouri:2
Answers:
- Should the government be doing more to stabilize home prices?I think we could be doing more to purchase homes from the banks, and perhaps rent them out until the situation improves. This would help support a price recovery.
- Do you believe the federal government is doing enough to enforce laws against employing illegal immigrants?The flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S. has slowed in recent years. We should be focusing more on expanding legal opportunities and bringing immigrants out of the shadows.
- 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.
- Do you support a larger fence or even a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent illegal immigration?I think that what we have now is sufficient. There's no need to constantly revisit this issue when the Border Patrol has seen documented success in reducing immigration over the past few years.
- How long should U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan?The U.S. presence should be scaled down to the minimum necessary to prevent a Taliban takeover. Hopefully we can withdraw all of our troops within a couple of years.
- 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 The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.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?Perhaps we can consider letting these expire at some point in the future, but for now we are mired in a stagnant economy and need to avoid tax increases.
- 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?This is a good program overall. Perhaps some minor details can be fixed, but without standardized testing there is no way to monitor the quality of our educational system.
- 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.
- Should the DEA prosecute medicinal marijuana growers in states where that practice has been legalized?We might disagree with these laws, but it is the responsibility of the DEA to uphold them. I do think we can look into reducing the penalties, which should decrease the strain on our prisons and allow people a second chance to lead productive lives.
- The maximum duration of unemployment insurance, with all extensions factored in, has been reduced from 99 weeks. Do you think this is appropriate in the current economic climate?There shouldn't be limits on the duration of unemployment insurance. This program is the only thing supporting many displaced workers, and the economic benefits of unemployment insurance are also beyond dispute.
- Should taxpayers be forced to subsidize Planned Parenthood via federal subsidies?Planned Parenthood is an essential component of our public health system. The right of women to control their bodies and their reproductive destinies is inviolable.
- Would you consider a default on some U.S. debt obligations if the financial situation of the country continues to deteriorate?Under no circumstances would the United States consider that as a course of action.
- Should the Social Security Trust Fund be purchasing U.S. Treasury bills? Should it be allowed to invest in other bonds and securities to potentially increase its rate of return? Or conversely, should the funds be held in a 'lockbox' to guarantee benefit payments?I think anyone who has managed money can tell you there is a place for U.S. Treasuries in any professional portfolio. Allowing the Social Security fund to invest in other securities opens a huge number of potential problems and conflicts of interest.
- What is your opinion on the Occupy Wall Street movement?I'm sympathetic to some of their demands, but perhaps there are better ways for them to get their point across.
- 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?Students are the future of this country and they need all the help they can get to make it through college, especially considering how much tuition has been increased over the past few years.
- This morning you went to an elementary school and read books to a class of second-graders. How did you enjoy yourself?It's always refreshing to spend my morning in a classroom full of America's future leaders and inventors.
- 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.
- Elizabeth Warren is currently fighting the good fight in the Massachusetts Senate race. Would you be open to offering her a position in your Administration if she falls short there?She was supposed to be the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Board, remember? Republican obstructionism prevented that. I'm confident that she will do well against Scott Brown in the Massachusetts Senate race.
- 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.
- The 2012 Federal Highway Bill that you signed bars the use of federal funds for red-light traffic cameras. Do you agree with this provision?Personally I'm a big supporter of these cameras. Unfortunately, compromises had to be made to get the larger bill passed.
- Over half of all sexual harassment complaints filed in 2011 were dismissed -- an increase from previous years. Do you think enough is being done to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?I'm very concerned about this issue. I would like to see our funding level increase for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, so that adequate resources are in place to pursue these claims.
- What is your guiding foreign policy philosophy?Pragmatism -- Our foreign policy right now is effective. We need to guide foreign nations towards democracy and open markets. Doing so will increase the world's prosperity and decrease the chance of future wars.
- In the most general terms, what will be your overall campaign strategy against Romney?I will promise a fresh start in overcoming the gridlock in Washington. In my second term I will reach out to moderates and sensible Republicans to find common, pragmatic solutions to our most pressing issues.