Campaign Trail Results: Game #995421
Play The Campaign Trail
This Game:
- Year: 2012
- Player Candidate: Barack Obama
- Running Mate: Joe Biden
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Winner Take All Mode?: Yes
- Game Played:
View overall results, or a specific state:
| Candidate | Electoral Votes | Popular Votes | Pop. Vote % |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Barack Obama | 347 | 67,044,735 | 52.37 |
| ---- Mitt Romney | 191 | 59,778,809 | 46.70 |
| ---- Gary Johnson | 0 | 842,344 | 0.66 |
| ---- Jill Stein | 0 | 343,731 | 0.27 |
Visits:
- Missouri:6
- Arizona:1
- Georgia:1
- Indiana:1
- Nevada:1
- North Carolina:1
- Texas:1
Answers:
- Some observers have argued that an embargo of Cuba makes little sense in a post Cold War environment. What do you think?I dislike Fidel Castro as much as anyone. We should keep the embargo but also look for other ways to democratize that country.
- 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.
- Should the United States have been so quick to drop its support for Hosni Mubarak in 2011, given recent events in Egypt?That's a great question. It's hard to speculate on what might have been, but it at time it seemed clear that Mubarak had to go.
- What can the U.S. do to assist pro-democracy protestors in Russia?I support the democracy protestors. I wish them the best of luck.
- 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 The Defense of Marriage Act should be repealed.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?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.
- Overall, are you satisfied with the trade relationship between the U.S. and China?This relationship has its pros and cons. China should be doing more to live up to their end of our trade agreements, and they must stop manipulating their currency.
- Do you support continued subsidies for the production of ethanol fuel?Ethanol has the potential to radically change our energy equation, and to provide a clean source of renewables. We should continue these subsidies.
- Does it still make sense to provide military aid to Pakistan's government?Yes this is bad, but what are the alternatives? Should we let Pakistan fall to Muslim fundamentalists as well?
- Should all private insurance plans be required to cover contraceptives and birth control?Perhaps if someone really wants to object, there can be a process for them to obtain a religious exemption.
- 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 think the Death with Dignity Act in Oregon could be a model for broader federal legislation on the issue?That's ridiculous. Of course not.
- Is it time for the federal government to cut spending, even with the economy growing at less than 2% annually?Yes it is. One of the biggest obstacles to private sector capital investment is the size and debt of the federal government. The current stagnation in the economy is evidence of this fact.
- Do you see any need for a United States Institute of Peace?Can you name a single thing this agency has done? This just another example of how federal money is wasted on arcane projects in a time of fiscal crisis.
- 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.
- The budget for the Department of Housing and Urban Development was cut by nearly $4 billion in 2012. Do you think subsidized housing for the poor is a good place to begin reducing the federal deficit?We'll have to make decisions like these at some point. It's better to do so now when we still have some control over the outcome, rather than waiting for a budget crisis to kick in.
- Will you wear an American flag lapel on your suit as you campaign?Didn't Nixon invent this tactic as a cheap political ploy in the 1960s? This is far from the best way for someone to display their patriotism.
- Should large banks like Chase, Citibank, and Bank of America be broken up to reduce the risk of another financial crisis?That's not the best solution for us to take. The last thing we need right now in the financial sector is some kind of arbitrary, destabilizing government action.
- Should military spending be cut to help reduce the deficit? If so, by how much?Compared to our potential adversaries, we spend a colossal amount on our military infrastructure. Certainly any attempt to reduce our deficit should include a few cuts in the military.
- After episodes such as the 'flash crash' in 2010, would you support a small financial transactions tax, with the sole purpose being to target high-frequency trading systems?I'm opposed to this idea. The last thing we need to right now is create new forms of taxation.
- Some on the left thought that you were not very vigorous in your opposition to the anti-union policies of Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin. What do you have to say about this?I'm no fan of Scott Walker, but I thought the recall effort was taking things a step too far.
- What will be the overriding theme of your nomination speech at the Democratic Convention?I will talk about the myriad methods that the Republicans use to divide our country. I will remind everyone that Democrats are truly the party of the common person -- regardless of background or income level.
- Do FEMA insurance payouts encourage real estate developers to build in disaster prone areas?It would be inhumane to suggest that we shouldn't be giving payouts to people who lose everything in a natural disaster.
- What is your guiding foreign policy philosophy?Human Rights -- It's past time that we cut allegiances with dictators like the House of Saud and truly lived up to our ideals. I will only support or give aid to democratically elected leaders.
- 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.