Campaign Trail Results: Game #919422
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 1960
- Player Candidate: John F. Kennedy
- Running Mate: Lyndon Johnson
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
- forafountain
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Richard Nixon | 280 | 33,911,502 | 49.96 |
| ---- John F. Kennedy | 243 | 33,668,592 | 49.60 |
| ---- Harry Byrd | 14 | 303,862 | 0.45 |
Visits:
- Massachusetts:12
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?We can't be out there responding to every little two-bit leaflet that some crank puts out. Let's wait and see how this issue develops.
- 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?These activists are trespassing on the property of lawful businesses. I think there are better methods of pushing for change in the South.
- Richard Nixon has made "experience" the centerpiece of his campaign. What do you have to say on this point?Richard Nixon and I entered Congress in the same year, 1947, and have both served in the highest levels of government for some time.
- 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?We need to dispatch an armed garrison to these islands, to make sure there is no mistaking our commitment in our fight against Communism.
- 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?We can never be fully satisfied, but we have certainly held our own in the Cold War over the past eight years, compared to where we were during the Korean War.
- Do you believe the United States is adequately prepared to defend against the Soviet threat over the next ten years?I am as satisfied as I can be. With sound defense policies and strong economic growth, we should continue to maintain our advantage over the Soviet Union.
- 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 would not support a measure like this. This would be an unnecessary and unconstitutional interference into the rights of our states.
- 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.
- How serious, at the current time, do you believe the internal Communist threat is?It's unfortunate that we've become less vigilant on the internal Communist threat in recent years. Espionage and infiltration of our government is as serious a threat as external Soviet action.
- 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?What we've unfortunately seen in Cuba is the consequence of insufficient support for anti-Communist governments and movements. We need to be much more aggressive in our actions against the Castro government.
- 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?We should have found a better way to resolve this issue, rather than intrude into the sovereignty of an American state.
- What would you do as President to combat increasing unemployment in America's industrial cities?We need lower taxes, fewer regulations, and a smaller federal government. This will encourage private enterprise and spur a recovery to our industrial capacity.
- 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.
- Do you believe that current levels of defense spending are adequate?We can always find areas for improvement, but we have successfully defended the United States and our allies from numerous Communist threats over the past eight years.
- Where will you spend your final day before the election?We will travel to California and the West Coast.