Campaign Trail Results: Game #888221
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 % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Mitt Romney | 270 | 64,436,975 | 49.64 |
| ---- Barack Obama | 268 | 64,081,088 | 49.36 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 929,497 | 0.72 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 372,552 | 0.29 |
Visits:
- Ohio:4
- Florida:3
- Colorado:2
- Michigan:1
- North Carolina:1
- Pennsylvania:1
Answers:
- What is your opinion on the detention center at Guantanamo Bay? Would you consider closing it after the election?I would like to close it, but we need to figure out an alternative way to detain these people.
- Some observers have argued that an embargo of Cuba makes little sense in a post Cold War environment. What do you think?I absolutely agree. The embargo against Cuba is a disgrace.
- 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?I don't want to comment on an issue that is best left to the voters of Arizona.
- What is your position on gay marriage?Gay marriage should be protected at the federal level. The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.
- Is the United States too reliant on fossil fuels for its energy needs?Yes. We need to combine the use of these sources with further research into solar and wind power.
- Do you support allowing the Bush Tax Cuts to expire for high-income households at the end of 2012?Perhaps we can consider letting these expire at some point in the future, but for now we are mired in a stagnant economy and need to avoid tax increases.
- Will you launch an air campaign against Iranian nuclear sites if diplomatic negotiations continue to yield minimal results?I'd rather not discuss this issue right now while diplomatic negotiations are in progress.
- What do you think we should do next in regards to Social Security?With minor changes like an increase to the retirement age and means testing after a certain benefit level, we can ensure the solvency of this program long into the future.
- In general, do you think bilingual education programs are a good idea?For new immigrants who do not yet speak English, there is a need for some bilingual programs. However, there should be strict time limits on how long students may remain enrolled.
- 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.
- Do you see any need for a United States Institute of Peace?This agency performs valuable research on how to avoid future conflicts. It will pay for itself many times over if it succeeds at that mission.
- Should taxpayers be forced to subsidize Planned Parenthood via federal subsidies?Planned Parenthood is an essential component of our public health system. The right of women to control their bodies and their reproductive destinies is inviolable.
- What is your opinion on the Occupy Wall Street movement?I'm sympathetic to some of their demands, but perhaps there are better ways for them to get their point across.
- 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.
- Should federal fuel taxes be slightly increased (they have been the same since 1993) to avoid another catastrophe like the Minnesota bridge collapse of 2007?I don't see a problem with a small increase. We should be encouraging other forms of transportation, and on top of that our highways are woefully underfunded.
- How do you feel about capitalism and the free market?I am a firm proponent of the free market. We simply need effective regulation to make sure that the economy works as best as it possibly can.
- Will you wear an American flag lapel on your suit as you campaign?It baffles me how someone could be ashamed to display the American flag. It seems a little unpatriotic to me.
- Should large banks like Chase, Citibank, and Bank of America be broken up to reduce the risk of another financial crisis?Too big to fail is too big to exist. It's pathetic just how much our representatives have allowed themselves to be bought by financial institutions.
- Is there too much regulation of the American logging industry?We need some rational management of our nation's resources, but I think too often we err on the side of caution when it comes to utilizing our nation's timber.
- Your former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is currently engaged in a high-profile struggle with the Chicago Teachers Union. Do you hope that he succeeds?I think Rahm's demands are reasonable. We have to do something to improve education in Chicago.
- 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?I am 100% behind this idea.
- What will be the overriding theme of your nomination speech at the Democratic Convention?I will talk at great length about how we've drifted from the tradition of liberalism that was built by the likes of Roosevelt, Johnson, and Humphrey. I will reaffirm my commitment to this vision in my second term.
- What is your guiding foreign policy philosophy?Pragmatism -- Our foreign policy right now is effective. We need to guide foreign nations towards democracy and open markets. Doing so will increase the world's prosperity and decrease the chance of future wars.
- In the most general terms, what will be your overall campaign strategy against Romney?I will promise a fresh start in overcoming the gridlock in Washington. In my second term I will reach out to moderates and sensible Republicans to find common, pragmatic solutions to our most pressing issues.