Campaign Trail Results: Game #848964
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 1860
- Player Candidate: Abraham Lincoln
- Running Mate: Cassius Clay
- Difficulty Level: Impossible
- Winner Take All Mode?: No
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Stephen A. Douglas | 98 | 1,806,085 | 38.74 |
| ---- John C. Breckinridge | 96 | 1,132,708 | 24.30 |
| ---- Abraham Lincoln | 60 | 1,109,274 | 23.79 |
| ---- John Bell | 49 | 613,861 | 13.17 |
Answers:
- How should your party address the slavery issue during this campaign?We can support the idea of popular sovereignty, but that must include an acknowledgement that Kansas clearly desires to enter the Union as a free state.
- What do you have to say about the merits of your running mate, Cassius Clay?I'm proud to share a ballot with Cassius Clay of Kentucky.
- To what extent do you plan to personally campaign in this election?I made my reputation by debating Stephen A. Douglas. These extraordinary times call for extraordinary action by the candidates for President.
- How aggressively should your party attack the Northern Democrats and Stephen A. Douglas in this election?Douglas has a following in several of the states that we must have this fall. We should reserve our harshest criticism for the Southern Democrats and their machinations.
- How aggressively should your party attack the Constitutional Unionists and John Bell in this election?This party has no discernible platform or political positions on any issue. They are the carcass of the pro-slavery wing of the Whig Party, masquerading as saviors of the Union.
- How aggressively should your party attack the Southern Democrats and John Breckenridge in this election?We will attack Southern Democrats the same as we would Northern Democrats. They represent the same ideas about slavery -- they differ only in their boldness about it.
- What should your party's position be on the raid of John Brown, late in 1859?Clearly what John Brown did was illegal, but without the obstructionism and provocation of the South on slavery, it would have never come to pass.
- Thousands of young men have formed paramilitary “Wide Awake” clubs and marched to support Republicans. Should your party embrace this support, or is it too divisive?Let's try to finesse this point. It is understandably concerning to the border states to see so many young men of the North marching in military formation, with a clear organization about them.
- Do you have any plans to reach out to your chief rival for the Republican nomination, William Seward, and reconcile?We will send overtures to Mr. Seward and invite him to come visit us in Springfield. It's important to have a united party.
- How much should your party emphasize its support of higher tariffs in this election?I would advocate that we compromise on the issue of tariff increases and strike a moderate tone. We need to do as much as possible to make this election about slavery, and slavery alone.
- How much should your party emphasize its support of a Transcontinental Railroad in this election?We might consider sacrificing on this issue if it would help appease the Deep South. I don't think we should mention it much in this campaign.
- How much should your party emphasize its support of a homestead act in this election?Even the Northern Democrats support a homestead act. Let's stick to issues where we have a distinction to hammer on.
- What position should your party take on foreign immigration and nationalization in this election?Let's discuss immigrants as little as possible in our campaign and platform. It's a no-win situation for us.
- What is your position on the Supreme Court's Dred Scott v. Sandford decision?We obviously cannot agree with this decision, but the Supreme Court lays down the law of the land, and we have little choice but to acquiesce.
- What is your position on the social equality of blacks in American society?The idea that we support social equality for blacks in society is a canard put down the Democrats, in a clumsy and transparent attempt to score political points.
- Do you have anything to say about the efforts of some to reopen the Atlantic slave trade?I'm sure that these are just rumors and speculation. It would be irresponsible of me at this point to extend my obvious condemnation of this step.
- Do you support the further expansion of the United States into Mexico, Cuba, or the Caribbean?I would have to see the specific situation being proposed before I could give my own opinion on the matter.
- What is your position on the passage of “personal liberty laws” by various states, to flout the Fugitive Slave Act?Let's try to avoid this issue in our campaign statements and speeches. No good can come of it.
- Should the proposed constitution for the state of Kansas be accepted by Congress, and Kansas admitted as a free state?We support the admission of Kansas as a free state, as soon as possible.
- Would you support a compromise Amendment which permanently protected slavery in the Southern states, in return for no further expansion of the institution?I'm open to some kind of compromise that would provide guarantees on slavery in the South, as long as it would not allow the extension of slavery to new states or territories.
- If any Southern state was to secede, would you use military force as President to preserve the Union?I doubt that things will come to that point, and we must not address this issue during our current campaign.
- Do you have any comments on the Lemmon v. New York case which may be making its way to the Supreme Court?We don't know for sure if the Court will consider this case, and for now we ought to avoid making any statements on it.
- Cassius Clay has recently spoken of the need to “throw off the yoke of slavery”, which has reinforced his abolitionist reputation and alarmed many moderates. What is your stance on this?We can't have the appearance of disunity on our ticket. We selected Mr. Clay at our convention, and we must live with the consequences.
- Is there a particular state that you believe the party should concentrate its resources into during the final days of the campaign?Let's keep our efforts broadly focused on the North.
- We just need to let you know, it appears that your opponents have consolidated into a "fusion ticket" in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.I see. We shall do our best in any case.