2007年VOA标准英语-US 2008 Presidential Race Well Under Way

By Jim Malone
Washington
22 January 2007

Americans will not elect their next president for 22 months, but already the 2008 presidential campaign seems to have reached a fever pitch. In the last few days alone, three candidates, including Senator Hillary Clinton, have announced plans to run for the White House next year. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has a look at the widening presidential field and why so many candidates are getting in the race so early.

 
Senator Hillary Clinton announces opening presidential exploratory committee on her website
There was little doubt Senator Clinton would enter the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination³. But her announcement in a video on her Website with little advance fanfare⁴ did come as a bit of surprise.

She said, "You know, after six years of George Bush, it is time to renew the promise of America, our basic bargain, that no matter who you are or where you live, if you work hard and play by the rules, you can build a good life for yourself and your family."

Senator Clinton announced her bid just days after Illinois Senator Barack Obama established his own presidential campaign committee.

 
Bill Richardson gives his State of the State address during the opening of the legislative⁵ session at the Capitol in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 16 Jan 2007
The latest Democrat² to join the race is New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. He told ABC's This Week program that he can compete with his better known Democratic rivals.

"I will outwork anybody," he said. "I am a governor. Governors have good records in being elected president because we balance budgets, we deal with health care and education."

Richardson has served in Congress, in the Clinton cabinet as energy secretary and ambassador to the United Nations.

University of Virginia political analyst⁶ Larry Sabato says Richardson's experience could be an asset if he can get noticed among the other high-profile Democratic candidates like Senators Clinton and Obama and former Senator John Edwards.

He said, "Bill Richardson may not be at the top of the polls, but he is a very serious candidate for president. He has probably the most impressive resume of any candidate in either party."

Senator Clinton may have moved up her timetable to announce because of all the recent attention surrounding Barack Obama.

 
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama prepares for his appearance on Face the Nation in Chicago, 14 Jan 2007
Obama is only in his first term in the Senate, but he has created excitement among Democratic activists⁷ looking for a fresh face to challenge for the White House in 2008.

University of Maryland political expert Ron Walters said, "Senator Obama is a charismatic young man and he is telegenic, he is fresh in terms of his appearance on the political scene and he is intelligent. He is kind of a diverse version of America."

Obama is considered the first African-American candidate with a realistic chance of winning the White House, while Senator Clinton is hoping to become the first woman elected president. In addition, Governor Richardson's Hispanic heritage is a strong draw for the increasing number of Latino voters in the country.

Other Democrats⁸ who have either formally announced they are running or who have taken initial steps include Senators Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut, Congressman⁹ Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack.

With the election still a little less than two years away, there has already been an extraordinary amount of campaign activity by candidates in both parties.

Experts say the contenders need to raise as much money as possible early in the process to be seen as a viable¹⁰ candidate, and also to improve their name recognition if they are not well known by the public.

In addition, 2008 will be the first election since 1952 that will not feature either a sitting president or vice¹¹ president running for the White House.

Stuart Rothenberg, who publishes an independent political newsletter in Washington, said, "There is no heir-apparent in either party. There are certainly frontrunners in both parties, but there is not quite the heir-apparent that we usually have in at least one party."

 
Senator Sam Brownback announces intention to run for the US presidency¹² in Topeka, Kansas, 20 Jan 2007
Republican candidates have been equally busy in getting into the 2008 race. The latest is Kansas Senator Sam Brownback.

He said, "So it is with sincere humility¹³ and a determination to do good that I declare my candidacy for President of the United States!"

Brownback hopes to appeal to conservative Republican voters, but is also known for his efforts to combat AIDS, genocide and poverty in Africa.

Other Republicans who are either running or who are expected to jump into the race include Arizona Senator John McCain, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt¹ Romney and Congressman Duncan Hunter of California and Tom Tancredo of Colorado.

Pollster Celinda Lake says a recent survey found Democrats and Republicans generally favorable toward the major candidates in their respective parties.

"81 percent have a positive view of Giuliani, 70 percent have a positive view of McCain. Mitt Romney is much less well known," she said. "On the Democratic side, 85 percent like Hillary Clinton, 71 percent like John Edwards and 65 percent like Barack Obama."

As the various candidates fight for recognition and fundraising, their positions on the war in Iraq will also come under scrutiny¹⁴.

American University expert James Thurber says Iraq's impact on the upcoming presidential race is one of the great mysteries of the 2008 campaign.

"The war will be the issue for everybody and there are no simple answers. So will Iraq affect the election? Yes. Do we know how? No, at this point," he said.

The nominating process for both parties begins next January with the Iowa presidential caucuses¹⁵.

1 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

4 fanfare   

n.喇叭；号角之声；v.热闹地宣布

参考例句：

• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide.这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。
• A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King.嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。

5 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

10 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

13 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

14 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

15 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网