Campaign Trail Results: Game #816396
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2012
- Player Candidate: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Hillary Clinton
- Difficulty Level: Impossible
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Mitt Romney | 530 | 74,137,493 | 57.31 |
| ---- Barack Obama | 8 | 53,673,575 | 41.49 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 1,093,199 | 0.85 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 459,941 | 0.36 |
Visits:
- Kansas:3
- Mississippi:3
- Texas:3
- Idaho:1
- Missouri:1
- Wyoming:1
Answers:
- What is your opinion on the detention center at Guantanamo Bay? Would you consider closing it after the election?Absolutely not. I am 100% opposed to terrorism and will not take any measures that could threaten the security of the United States. Can you imagine if we released one of these people and they went on to participate in an attack against our soil?
- 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?The federal government has forced Arizona's hand by being too lax on enforcement for far too long.
- Does it make sense to dispose our nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada?We have to put this waste somewhere. I understand the objections from some in Nevada, but where else are we supposed to store it?
- In November 2011, Ohio voters rejected a law to limit collective bargaining power for public unions. Do public sector unions such as teachers' and police unions have too much bargaining power?That's an issue for the states to decide. You know, the federal government does not support collective bargaining for its employees, so it's not appropriate for me to comment on a state matter.
- What can the U.S. do to assist pro-democracy protestors in Russia?I would encourage Vladimir Putin to continue his efforts to democratize Russia, so that there is less cause for future demonstrations.
- What is your position on gay marriage?Under no circumstances should the sacred institution of marriage be undermined. The Defense of Marriage Act was passed specifially to address this issue.
- 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.
- Should all private insurance plans be required to cover contraceptives and birth control?This is a violation of religious freedom. Many religious organizations and hospitals insure or care for individuals, and some of them have moral objections to birth control
- 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.
- Is it time for the federal government to cut spending, even with the economy growing at less than 2% annually?Yes it is. One of the biggest obstacles to private sector capital investment is the size and debt of the federal government. The current stagnation in the economy is evidence of this fact.
- Do you see any need for a United States Institute of Peace?Can you name a single thing this agency has done? This just another example of how federal money is wasted on arcane projects in a time of fiscal crisis.
- 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.
- 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?This is a worthy program and I have no problem with the amount of money that is allocated to it.
- What is the best way to make college more affordable for young people?Get the government out of higher education. Federal guarantees for student loans plus exorbitant funding for student grants combine to guarantee massive inflation in this area.
- 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.
- Some on the left thought that you were not very vigorous in your opposition to the anti-union policies of Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin. What do you have to say about this?I'm no fan of Scott Walker, but I thought the recall effort was taking things a step too far.
- 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?First of all, this had no bearing on her decision to leave the Obama Administration. Secondly, the economy is a very complex animal and we were doing the best we could with the charts and formulas we had available at the time.
- Some liberals say that you have done more to help Wall Street banks than hard-working Americans. Are you open to a more universal program of mortgage write-downs if housing prices continue to decline?We might consider purchasing delinquent mortgages and renting the homes out until a price recovery ensues. This will benefit those who are underwater on a mortgage, and will also stabilize home prices for the larger community.
- 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.
- 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?Red light cameras are just another small step in our potential descent into tyranny. I'm trying my best, you know, to step in and intervene when I see policies like that.
- Do FEMA insurance payouts encourage real estate developers to build in disaster prone areas?There is absolutely a danger of this happening. That's why we have a National Flood Insurance Program which provides strict guidelines on where people are permitted to build.
- 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 don't think this is an issue. It just goes to show how as we become more modern in our views as a society, that sexual harassment will become less of an issue in the workplace.
- 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?Behind the scenes my surrogates have plenty of dirt to spread about Romney and the Republicans. As President, I will stick to a message of optimism and hope in my own campaign speeches.