Campaign Trail Results: Game #976242

This Game:

  • Year: 2012
  • Player Candidate: Barack Obama
  • Running Mate: Joe Biden
  • Difficulty Level: Normal
  • Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
  • Game Played:
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View overall results, or a specific state:
CandidateElectoral VotesPopular VotesPop. Vote %
---- Barack Obama33265,717,94550.80
---- Mitt Romney20662,417,09348.25
---- Gary Johnson0871,9640.67
---- Jill Stein0353,7290.27

Visits:

  • Florida:6
  • Ohio:3
  • North Carolina:1
  • Pennsylvania:1
  • Virginia:1

Answers:

  • Should the government be doing more to stabilize home prices?
    The government has no business regulating the value of a home. We will never fully recover from this recession until prices are allowed to find their floor, and then start increasing through market forces.
  • 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?
    This is an unconscionable violation of civil rights and will certainly lead to racial profiling.
  • 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'm very worried about the falling water levels in that area. If this continues, then we would eventually need to consider taking action.
  • How do you view the practice of hydraulic fracturing (aka 'fracking') in the Dakotas and elsewhere?
    It would be irresponsible of me to speculate on this practice without a thorough understanding of the facts. One of the first things I will do after the election is to establish a bipartisan commission to fully investigate this issue, and to present its recommendations.
  • 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 The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.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.
  • 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.
  • The maximum duration of unemployment insurance, with all extensions factored in, has been reduced from 99 weeks. Do you think this is appropriate in the current economic climate?
    This is entirely appropriate for an economy recovering from the worst recession since the 1930s. Additionally, there have been repeated jobs proposals in Congress, all of which have been sabotaged by Republican obstructionism.
  • Should the Social Security Trust Fund be purchasing U.S. Treasury bills? Should it be allowed to invest in other bonds and securities to potentially increase its rate of return? Or conversely, should the funds be held in a 'lockbox' to guarantee benefit payments?
    I think anyone who has managed money can tell you there is a place for U.S. Treasuries in any professional portfolio. Allowing the Social Security fund to invest in other securities opens a huge number of potential problems and conflicts of interest.
  • Should American workers have the right to invest their Social Security withholdings in private accounts?
    We definitely need to make some changes to the Social Security program, but this is going too far.
  • Are you satisfied with the provisions within the 2012 Federal Highway Bill that could salvage over two million jobs in the construction industry?
    We should monitor these expenditures very closely to make sure that they are being allocated properly. There is always the chance of cronyism and misappropriation when there is spending of this magnitude.
  • Without divulging a preference for any particular religious group, do you believe that America was founded as a Christian nation?
    This is an arcane debate. The First Amendment guarantees religious freedom in the U.S., and the personal beliefs of the founders are not a relevant policy issue.
  • The most recent data (for 2010) on Pell Grants indicate that 60% of all college students receive one. In that same year, the program cost $36 billion. What changes, if any, would you recommend to this program?
    Students are the future of this country and they need all the help they can get to make it through college, especially considering how much tuition has been increased over the past few years.
  • The most recent poll showed you slipping by a couple of percentage points. Are you planning on making any changes in your campaign to address this?
    We don't pay attention to things like polls and focus groups. We just go out every day and present our message to the American people. Everything else will take care of itself.
  • Some theorists have suggested that the government create guaranteed jobs at the federal minimum wage, to help support the labor market. Is this something that you would consider?
    This sounds like a political non-starter. It's an interesting idea but let's steer the conversation towards something more productive.
  • What is the best way to make college more affordable for young people?
    If we had more federal funding for student loans and grants, it would make college more accessible to underprivileged students. I also support increased grants to the states to support their state university systems.
  • Would you consider military action in Syria if the impasse between Bashar Assad and the rebels there continues?
    It's something we should keep on the table. The entire idea of our intervention in Iraq was to unleash a wave of democratic movements in the Middle East. Hopefully Syria qualifies as such.
  • Many people speculate that the Affordable Health Care Act is the first step on the road to socialized medicine. Can you address these concerns?
    These fears are absolutely unfounded. The increased transparency and accountability of a private insurance marketplace will actually serve to reduce health care costs.
  • You have expressed support for increasing taxes on the rich to address our budget shortfall. However, almost half of Americans currently pay no income taxes. Are you sure this is a good idea?
    Yes I think it's a good idea. Our working class and middle class taxpayers have been crushed by the past few years of subpar economic performance, which was caused of course by the Bush Administration.
  • Elizabeth Warren is currently fighting the good fight in the Massachusetts Senate race. Would you be open to offering her a position in your Administration if she falls short there?
    She was supposed to be the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Board, remember? Republican obstructionism prevented that. I'm confident that she will do well against Scott Brown in the Massachusetts Senate race.
  • 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.
  • Do you think Hillary Clinton would make a good Presidential candidate in 2016?
    It's way too early to speculate on the 2016 election. We need to keep our attention on the here and now.
  • Would you support an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution to protect women's rights?
    I think there are better and more practical steps we can take to ensure women's equality. Access to more affordable child care would be a good start, for instance.
  • 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.