Campaign Trail Results: Game #850309
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2012
- Player Candidate: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Joe Biden
- Difficulty Level: Normal
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
---|---|---|---|
---- Barack Obama | 347 | 67,733,889 | 52.45 |
---- Mitt Romney | 191 | 60,244,066 | 46.65 |
---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 868,926 | 0.67 |
---- Jill Stein | 0 | 304,553 | 0.24 |
Visits:
- North Carolina:6
- Florida:5
- Ohio:1
Answers:
- Some observers have argued that an embargo of Cuba makes little sense in a post Cold War environment. What do you think?Current policy against Cuba, while obviously not perfect, is on the right track and we should continue it.
- Should the government be doing more to stabilize home prices?For the most part, I don't think that's appropriate. There are some limited areas, like relaxing restrictions on foreign ownership, where we can still help out.
- 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 proper authority for enforcement rests with the federal government. This law goes further than federal laws and even if constitutional, should be repealed.
- The water level of Lake Mead (the reservoir near Hoover Dam) has been steadily dropping in recent years. Should the Bureau of Reclamation regulate the use of this water more strictly?I think the system we have in place is working. There will be ebbs and flows in the water level, but we've already seen it start to rebound the last couple of years.
- Does it make sense to dispose our nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada?As a sovereign state, Nevada has every right to reject this proposal. Nobody wants to live next to a toxic nuclear waste site.
- Do you have an opinion on net neutrality?Net neutrality is essential to the internet as we know it. It must be maintained indefinitely.
- 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 The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.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?I support letting the cuts expire. It's time that wealthy Americans paid their fair share for the opportunities our society gives to them.
- Do you support continued subsidies for the production of ethanol fuel?These subsidies were well-intentioned, but I think that solar and wind have more long-term potential.
- The United States has historically subsidized corn producers. With recent price increases in the corn market, do you still believe that such a program is necessary?The Department of Agriculture uses subsidies to rationally manage food production. It would be foolish to reverse that policy.
- Should middle school students learn about contraception in health class, or will this simply encourage them to experiment?That doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Perhaps with high schoolers it makes more sense to, you know, delve into some of those details.
- 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.
- Is it time for the federal government to cut spending, even with the economy growing at less than 2% annually?It is not a good idea to cut the size of the government in the midst of a recession. Shrinking payrolls at the state level have served to drag down our most recent recovery.
- Do you have any comment to make on the performance of Ben Bernanke as Chairman of the Federal Reserve?No comment as of now. I will deliberate very carefully as to whether Bernanke should be reappointed, but for the moment it's not appropriate for politicans to address the performance of the Federal Reserve.
- 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 American workers have the right to invest their Social Security withholdings in private accounts?This is the first step that those who wish to abolish Social Security would like to implement. The integrity of Social Security should be preserved at all times.
- 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.
- Would you advocate cutting Peace Corps funding to help address the deficit?This is a valuable component of our international presence. We should maintain the funding we have in place, which is miniscule in proportion to our overall budget.
- How much attack advertising will your campaign use?If our opponent does that kind of thing, then we will certainly follow suit.
- 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 was in much worse shape in early 2009 than anyone realized. Since that time we have repeatedly tried to pass additional stimulus measures and have been thwarted by House Republicans at every opportunity.
- 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?The financial system is unstable enough without bringing a policy like this into play. I think it is well-intentioned, but it wouldn't necessarily be very helpful.
- What will be the overriding theme of your nomination speech at the Democratic Convention?I will give an honest speech about the challenges I was facing in 2009, what I did to address them, what I tried to do that was blocked by Republican obstructionism, and what jobs policies I will continue to push for in my second term.
- 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.
- 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?Of course I am opposed to the policies of Scott Walker. The only reason I wasn't in Wisconsin on the day of his recall election was that I needed to campaign in more competitive states to maximize our chances of winning this fall.