Campaign Trail Results: Game #869797
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 1960
- Player Candidate: John F. Kennedy
- Running Mate: Stuart Symington
- Difficulty Level: Normal
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Richard Nixon | 406 | 34,244,806 | 51.40 |
| ---- John F. Kennedy | 112 | 31,378,222 | 47.10 |
| ---- Harry Byrd | 19 | 997,310 | 1.50 |
Visits:
- California:2
- Illinois:2
- Missouri:2
- Pennsylvania:2
- New York:1
- North Carolina:1
- West Virginia:1
- Wisconsin:1
Answers:
- What kind of tone will you attempt to set in your campaign this fall?It is important to keep the Democratic Party moving into the future. We need to act on civil rights, education, and health care over the coming term.
- What do you have to say about the selection of Stuart Symington as your running mate?Stuart Symington is a close friend of mine and a tireless advocate for liberalism in the United States. I look forward to working with him for the next four years.
- 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?Let's gather some of these leaflets and show them to the media and to major newspapers. I think they demonstrate the lengths that some people will go to discredit my candidacy.
- 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?I am Catholic and proud of it. I will not respond to bigoted attacks or innuendo, and I trust that these attacks will only help me by driving higher Catholic turnout.
- 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?This movement has my full support, as do the other civil rights measures of our day. I will push for a Civil Rights Act as President.
- Richard Nixon has made "experience" the centerpiece of his campaign. What do you have to say on this point?I will bring new, dynamic leadership to this country as President. I don't see how this line of argument puts me at any disadvantage.
- 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 would redouble our efforts on this front. Too many of our nation's elderly are unable to afford decent medical care in their advanced years.
- Do you believe that the islands of Quemoy and Matsu should fall within the United States defense perimeter in Asia?I'm not sure it's practical or desirable from a military standpoint to defend two tiny islands that are much closer to the Chinese mainland than they are to Formosa.
- Currently the highest income tax bracket pays a rate of 91%. Will you work harder to cut tax rates as President?This is not a high priority for me as President. We need to create an old age insurance program and increase our funding for education.
- Is the United States adequately prepared to defend against the Soviet threat today?Cuba has been lost to the Soviet Union, providing a potential base for Communist aggression on the very doorstep of our nation. I am very unsatisfied with the current situation.
- Do you believe the United States is adequately prepared to defend against the Soviet threat over the next ten years?We have a missile gap, and an overly tight monetary policy that is constraining our growth. I'm very concerned that these shortfalls will allow the Soviet Union to gain an advantage if they are not addressed.
- 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?We need to minimize the federal funding of education, even in block grants. It could easily open the door to federal control of our schools.
- Would you support the passage of a federal civil rights bill as President to address the worst excesses of segregation in the South?I am supportive of a civil rights bill and will work with Congress to get one written and passed.
- 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 call to Mrs. King to offer our condolences, and let's demand the release of Mr. King.
- Are you satisfied with the economy and the economic policies of this country over the past eight years?We must do better. Our present Administration has advocated a hard money policy which caused the recession of 1958 and left idle industrial capacity in our 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.I support this measure, and believe it would be greatly beneficial to millions of American workers.
- 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 will defend our base at Guantanamo and do anything else that is necessary if Cuba continues its hostility. However, it is too early to make a conclusive determination at this point.
- Should the United States apologize to the Soviet Union for the controversy surrounding the downed U-2 spy plane and surrounding espionage?Absolutely not. We cannot show weakness in the face of the Soviet threat, and the Paris Summit collapsed from the intransigence of Nikita Khrushchev.
- Did Dwight Eisenhower do the right thing when he sent federal troops to Little Rock to ensure the integration of the high school there?He absolutely did, and I would like to see further action to desegregate our schools and enforce our civil rights.
- What would you do as President to combat increasing unemployment in America's industrial cities?We need to strengthen our labor unions and protections for the nation's industry, including trade protections if necessary.
- 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?I believe that we need more vigilance in the area of defense, for both military equipment and for missile development. We currently have a missile gap with the Soviet Union.
- Where will you spend your final day before the election?We will focus on Texas and the South.