Campaign Trail Results: Game #848101

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This Game:

  • Year: 1960
  • Player Candidate: John F. Kennedy
  • Running Mate: Lyndon Johnson
  • Difficulty Level: Easy
  • Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
  • Game Played:
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View overall results, or a specific state:
CandidateElectoral VotesPopular VotesPop. Vote %
---- Richard Nixon40634,661,87751.47
---- John F. Kennedy11732,361,48548.05
---- Harry Byrd14319,5600.47

Visits:

  • Florida:6
  • South Carolina:2
  • Texas:2
  • North Carolina:1
  • Ohio:1

Answers:

  • What kind of tone will you attempt to set in your campaign this fall?
    I have always been on the more moderate wing of the party. We need to emphasize my anti-Communism and my record as a Senator if we hope to win back the Eisenhower Democrats.
  • What do you have to say about the selection of Lyndon Johnson as your running mate?
    Lyndon Johnson shares my political beliefs and will be my close partner in government for the next four years.
  • Lady Bird Johnson, LBJ's wife, has been spat on by a gathering of far-right protestors in a Dallas hotel lobby. What are your thoughts?
    I have no real comment to make, but I'm sure that the voters in Texas will be incensed at the incivility of this episode.
  • There has been a proposal for a series of television debates between you and Kennedy. Is this something you are interested in?
    I would love to go against Nixon in a televised debate. We could use the exposure and I'm confident that I would win.
  • Anti-Catholicism has been a huge issue thus far in the campaign, with hundreds of pamphlets and leaflets being distributed across the South and Midwest. Do you have any comment?
    I will attack the idea that any good Protestant would vote against my candidacy because I happen to be a Catholic.
  • Anti-Catholicism continues to be an issue. Major newspapers have published a statement by 150 Protestant clergy, including Norman Vincent Peale, opposing any Catholic as President. Do you have any comment?
    Let's take this opportunity to make a major speech on the topic. I will address this issue exclusively in a televised speech, and put it to rest for good.
  • There have been a large number of sit-ins recently, where black students and activists are sitting at whites-only lunch counters and department stores to advocate for desegregation. Do you support this movement?
    I support the civil rights movement, but I'm a little concerned about the disregard for the law that some of these activists have shown.
  • Richard Nixon has made "experience" the centerpiece of his campaign. What do you have to say on this point?
    I question this premise, to be frank. It's still not clear to me exactly what role Nixon had in the Eisenhower Administration, or what policies of his have been implemented.
  • There was a recent effort in Congress to pass a program to provide medical care to elderly Americans, but it was narrowly defeated. Will you make a further push for this type of program as President?
    I prefer a slightly different program, offering health insurance to the elderly that they can choose to purchase. The proposed program was mandatory, and also covered only those covered by the Social Security Act.
  • Do you believe that the islands of Quemoy and Matsu should fall within the United States defense perimeter in Asia?
    I do believe we should defend these islands. We are committed to the defense of Taiwan, and that commitment must include all of Taiwan to be credible.
  • Currently the highest income tax bracket pays a rate of 91%. Will you work harder to cut tax rates as President?
    We need to cut this rate substantially. It is way too high.
  • Is the United States adequately prepared to defend against the Soviet threat today?
    I am satisfied with our progress over the past few years. We have prevented further expansion while avoiding any major wars.
  • Do you believe the United States is adequately prepared to defend against the Soviet threat over the next ten years?
    I don't know, to be perfectly frank. Things are going well for now, but we will have many challenges to meet in places like Cuba, Lebanon, Latin America, Indochina, and elsewhere.
  • What is your opinion on the current level of education funding in the United States? Would you increase federal education funding, even if it meant higher taxes or a larger budget deficit?
    Education is a key front in our battle with Communism, and that includes adequate pay and respect for our nation's teachers. I would support additional federal spending on this.
  • Would you support the passage of a federal civil rights bill as President to address the worst excesses of segregation in the South?
    This is something that is more appropriately addressed by individual states, though I will do anything I can to enforce the decisions of our Supreme Court.
  • Recently, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested at a sit-in in Atlanta, and has now been sentenced to four months in prison for failing to get a Georgia driver's license after moving to that state. Do you have any comment or action you would like to take?
    Let's make a public comment criticizing this arrest, and expressing our hopes that this situation doesn't escalate any further.
  • Are you satisfied with the economy and the economic policies of this country over the past eight years?
    We are on the right track economically. We can't deny that there was a recession in 1958, but the recovery has been strong and 1960 will see a very high rate of growth in this country.
  • Do you support a minimum wage of $1.25 per hour, with some exceptions for small business? Such a measure was recently defeated in Congress.
    Our current minimum wage is sufficient in my opinion. The minimum wage is a necessary expedient but we shouldn't be increasing it so much that we cause unemployment.
  • Do you believe that Cuba has been lost to the Communists as of this time? If so, do you think it is partially the fault of the United States?
    We've seen some alarming things out of Cuba, but this isn't necessarily a lost cause. Cuba has not declared itself a Communist state and we should be making overtures to prevent that.
  • Should the United States apologize to the Soviet Union for the controversy surrounding the downed U-2 spy plane and surrounding espionage?
    A formal apology sounds a bit extreme, but we could certainly have expressed our regrets and perhaps saved the Paris Summit from collapse.
  • Did Dwight Eisenhower do the right thing when he sent federal troops to Little Rock to ensure the integration of the high school there?
    We should have found a better way to resolve this issue, rather than intrude into the sovereignty of an American state.
  • Has the United States adequately defended against the Communist threat in Indochina? Would you support further action there if necessary?
    I believe we need to defend South Vietnam at all costs, whatever commitment of our forces that entails.
  • What is your position on the power of labor unions in the United States?
    I support unions and I oppose the excesses of leaders such as Jimmy Hoffa. Unions, cleansed of their corrupt elements, should play a central role in the American economy.
  • Do you believe that current levels of defense spending are adequate?
    In the final analysis, every dollar spent on defense is taken from more productive uses within our economy. I will look for ways to find common ground with the Soviet Union so that we can cut defense spending.
  • Where will you spend your final day before the election?
    We will travel to California and the West Coast.
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