Campaign Trail Results: Game #810364
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2012
- Player Candidate: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Hillary Clinton
- Difficulty Level: Hard
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Mitt Romney | 461 | 78,157,300 | 60.43 |
| ---- Barack Obama | 77 | 49,653,672 | 38.39 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 1,084,206 | 0.84 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 435,813 | 0.34 |
Visits:
- Hawaii:3
- California:1
- Illinois:1
- Mississippi:1
- New Mexico:1
- New York:1
- Texas:1
- Vermont:1
- Virginia:1
- Washington DC:1
Answers:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.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?Our most productive citizens need further tax cuts to stimulate business confidence, investment, and further job creation.
- Overall, are you satisfied with the trade relationship between the U.S. and China?This should be a model for other trade agreements as the developing world continues to seek the benefits of globalization.
- Do you support continued subsidies for the production of ethanol fuel?This program has proven itself to be a disaster. The sooner we forget about it the better.
- What do you think we should do next in regards to Social Security?Talking about a bankrupt Social Security program is a right wing scare tactic. We could afford to increase benefits if we really wanted to.
- 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?This program will be a disaster. Not only is it an unconstitutional violation of personal freedom, but it will lead to a decline in American health care and will prove to be financially impossible to maintain without socializing the health care system.
- Do you think the Death with Dignity Act in Oregon could be a model for broader federal legislation on the issue?A huge portion of our health care costs are accrued in the final few days of life. We need to overcome our prejudices and bring a more open mind to this issue.
- 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.
- Do you have any comment to make on the performance of Ben Bernanke as Chairman of the Federal Reserve?Ben Bernanke has been a disaster. The Fed's expansionist monetary policy caused this recession, and the continuance of that policy has delayed our recovery.
- Should Angela Merkel be doing more to preserve to Euro as the European Union's common currency?What's happening now in Europe is criminal. The working class is being punished to fulfill the avarice of huge, multinational banks. Germany should be doing much more to assist Greece, Italy, and Spain before it is too late.
- 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.
- Should American workers have the right to invest their Social Security withholdings in private accounts?No sensible investor would put a dime into the Social Security program if they weren't forced to by law. It is unfair to ask America's workers to put money into a program that has no promise of ever providing them with benefits.
- 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.
- Are you satisfied with the provisions within the 2012 Federal Highway Bill that could salvage over two million jobs in the construction industry?Ideally we should be spending much more on our infrastructure. Doing so would increase overall employment and pave the way for future prosperity.
- Is there too much regulation of the American logging industry?Absolutely there is. There are more trees in the United States now than there were at the time of the American Revolution.
- 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 environmentalist groups have at the highest levels of government.
- Some on the left have criticized your reliance on drone strikes to project American interests, stating that they lead to unnecessary civilian casualties. What can you say to this?I've thought carefully about this issue and consulted with our military advisors. Based on those conversations we have decided to end the practice of drone strikes, effective immediately.
- 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?I've got to be honest, I feel like I was a little bit misled by the people I had around me at that point. Fortunately I've learned from my mistakes and will not repeat them in my second term.
- 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 about the myriad methods that the Republicans use to divide our country. I will remind everyone that Democrats are truly the party of the common person -- regardless of background or income level.
- Joe Biden made what can only be described as a gaffe on the campaign trail today. What are your comments?It's certainly alarming to hear statements like these from someone as high-up as Joe Biden. Hopefully he can explain himself a little more clearly in the next few days.
- What is your guiding foreign policy philosophy?American Exceptionalism -- Providence has given America to the world as an inspiration, and we must vigorously defend the ideals of peace and freedom wherever they may be threatened.
- 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.