Campaign Trail Results: Game #96913
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This Game:
- Year: 1844
- Player Candidate: James K. Polk
- Running Mate: George Dallas
- Difficulty Level: Normal
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Henry Clay | 248 | 1,436,751 | 52.79 |
| ---- James K. Polk | 27 | 1,232,740 | 45.29 |
| ---- James Birney | 0 | 52,224 | 1.92 |
| ---- John Tyler | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Answers:
- What points will emphasize in your acceptance letter, as you accept the Democratic nomination for President?I will open with a defense of the annexation of Texas, and then spend the rest of the letter attacking Henry Clay and his obfuscations on the issue.
- You are known as a supporter of annexation on the Texas front. Do you have anything you would like to add, now that you have been nominated?I obtained my nomination based on the Texas issue, and people know that. We need to pivot now, and make the case for other parts of our platform.
- John Tyler is pleased with your position on the Texas issue, and is prepared to withdraw his candidacy. Can you give him assurances that certain appointees of his will be safe in their positions, should you be elected?Getting Tyler out of the race is worth it. He can send us a reasonable list of people who will stay on when we're elected.
- Cassius Clay, a cousin of Henry Clay, has published a letter stating Henry Clay is in accord with the abolitionist movement. Should your party disseminate copies of this letter as an attack?Let's not appear too hasty here. We need to run as a national party and avoid alienating Northerners.
- Do you believe that any Southern Whig can call themselves a supporter of slavery, so long as Henry Clay equivocates on the Texas issue?We have the upper-hand here, and we need to hammer the Southern Whigs on their allegiance to a party that is drifting towards increasingly radical positions.
- Do you have any statement on the presence of Theodore Frelinghuysen on the Whig ticket, and his association with known anti-Catholic agitators?The Democratic Party is a friend of the working-class, and of immigrants from abroad. We denounce the vile bigotry of the Whig Party, as evidenced by Frelinghuysen.
- For better or worse, many view you as a protege of Andrew Jackson (some call you “Young Hickory”). Is it better to embrace this label, or to distance yourself from it?We don't need to do anything so crazy as to denounce Andrew Jackson, but I think on the banking issue or the tariff issue, my positions are significantly different than what he advocated for.
- Henry Clay supports the idea that the federal government should purchase the telegraph patent and manage the technology. To what extent should you attack him on this?This sounds like the most ridiculous idea yet from Mr. Clay's long public career. I trust that enterprising individuals and companies will develop this technology.
- Should your party attack Henry Clay's personal conduct? His gambling, womanizing, dueling, and generally irreligious nature?I don't think that personal conduct is a good issue to bring into this campaign.
- Silas Wright, the protege and successor to Van Buren, has been mentioned as a candidate for Governor of New York. He seems hesitant. Will you write him a letter imploring him to enter the race?I will put my word in as a supporter of Silas Wright.
- There have recently been riots and armed clashes between nativists and Irish immigrants in Philadelphia and elsewhere. Do you have any plans to condemn the nativist violence in these episodes?The Whig Party attempts to stand apart from these nativist mobs, yet their own candidate for Vice President has associated with virulent anti-Catholics.
- What do you make of Martin Van Buren's 1842 visit to Henry Clay's estate? Is Clay too friendly with Northern interests?This episode shows that Mr. Clay is, at heart, an insider who is overly favorable to Northern politicians. It brings to mind the Corrupt Bargain of a prior election.
- Would you support the annexation of Texas, even without an agreement with Mexico, and a possible war?The prospect of war with a backwards country such as Mexico should play no part in our calculations.
- What should your party's position be on the Tariff of 1842, which increased tariffs?We stand steadfast in support of this tariff. It is one of the few positive accomplishments of Mr. Tyler's so-called Presidency.
- Do you believe that some revenue should be set aside from our tariffs to finance internal improvements, such as canals and roads?This is one of the key objectives of our current tariff policy, and I would support a strong infrastructure program as President.
- What is your current position on the banking system?I will never support a national bank, but I do advocate an independent Treasury, so that federal funds won't be tied up in local speculations.
- Do you support an Amendment that would limit the President to a single term in office?I don't think that this is a necessary step, at this time.
- Do you support the lifting of the Gag Rule in Congress?Regardless of our feelings about the slavery issue, it is undemocratic for Congress to deny the people the right to petition the government. I believe the Gag Rule should be lifted.
- Do you have any statement to make on John Calhoun's “Packenham Letter”, stating slavery to be a positive blessing, and justifying the annexation of Texas as a pro-slavery move?I disagree with John Calhoun across the board, which leads to my opposition to the annexation of Texas.
- Do you support any changes to our current naturalization laws?Our current laws are in need of great revision, in light of the troubles we have had with recent immigrants.
- Do you agree with Robert Walker's letter, arguing that that slavery issue will be diluted by national expansion?We won't address Mr. Walker's letter directly, but we are in favor of annexation.
- Regardless of your personal feelings, would you sign an act which established an independent Treasury for the government's funds?I would prefer a national bank, but I would be willing to sign a bill which created an independent Treasury.
- What is your position on the Oregon boundary question?We need to be just as aggressive on this issue as we are anywhere else. “Fifty-four Forty or Fight!”
- Do you have any criticism of the authorities in Illinois, regarding their failure to properly protect Joseph Smith before his assassination in June?Regardless of our personal feelings, it always concerning when a religious leader and Presidential candidate can simply be killed by a mob.
- Is there a particular state where your party should concentrate its resources and most talented speakers as the election draws near?New York