2007年VOA标准英语-Democrats Outpace Republicans in US Presidentia

By Jim Malone
Washington
16 July 2007

In U.S. election news, Democrats¹ Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama solidified² their lead in campaign fundraising this month while Republican John McCain continues to face turmoil³ within his own ranks. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on the 2008 presidential campaign from Washington.

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Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaks during the American Association for Justice presidential forum in Chicago, 15 Jul 2007

The latest fundraising figures gave a boost to both Clinton and Obama, who are running first and second in public-opinion polls among the Democratic contenders.

Both campaigns have more than $30 million to spend on next year's presidential caucuses⁵ and primaries. That process begins with the Iowa caucuses in mid⁶ January.

The Democratic presidential contenders raised about $80 million from April through June, compared to $50 million raised by the Republican candidates.

Historically, Republicans raise more money than Democrats and some experts believe the disparity this year reflects unease among Republicans about their party's election chances next year.

"No one thinks that Republicans are suddenly poor. So it is clear that these donors⁷ and activists⁸ are dissatisfied with the current field," said Mike Allen, of the politics Website The Politico dot com. "They are either going to stay out for the whole election or they [are] waiting for someone new, probably Fred Thompson."

Fred Thompson during an interview on the 'Fox News Sunday' program, 11 March 2007

Thompson, a former Republican U.S. Senator and television actor, is expected to join the campaign within the next few months. The Republican field of contenders is now down to nine following the withdrawal⁹ of former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore, who barely registered in the polls and in fundraising.

Political analyst¹⁰ Stuart Rothenberg says Fred Thompson's expected entrance into the race would make him an instant contender for the Republican Party's presidential nomination¹¹.

"If he does, when he does, he would become the third top-tier candidate, frankly¹² replacing John McCain who has faded to second-tier status," he said. "So you would have Fred Thompson, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt¹³ Romney and former New York City Major Rudy Giuliani as the big three."

John McCain's top communications aides and several other staffers quit the campaign Monday, continuing a string of defections that began following a shakeup of top campaign staff last week. McCain told voters in the early primary state of New Hampshire that he will remain in the race despite the turmoil within his campaign.

On the Democratic side, former North Carolina Senator John Edwards is trying to re-energize his campaign with an eight-state campaign tour that will highlight poverty in America.

Edwards began his tour in New Orleans, which was devastated¹⁴ by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and where residents complain that the Bush administration has done little to rebuild those areas damaged in the storm.

Federation15 of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) during its National Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, 19 June, 2007 " hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070719/0838452.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

John Edwards addresses the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) during its National Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, 19 June, 2007

Edwards is running third among Democrats in most public-opinion polls, but continues to do well in the early contest state of Iowa.

"So the Democratic race is a kind of two person race now, with Edwards hanging on [to third place], hoping to pull off a surprise in Iowa to really resuscitate¹⁶ the campaign," added Stuart Rothenberg, Washington-based analyst .

New Hampshire hosts the first presidential primary a week after Iowa, and a new Associated Press poll in New Hampshire found Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic field over Barack Obama and John Edwards, while Mitt Romney was the top Republican, ahead of Rudy Giuliani and John McCain.

Polls this early before an election year are notoriously unreliable. But campaigns often factor in poll results when shaping their political strategies and appeals to voters.

1 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》

2 solidified   

（使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的过去式和过去分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化

参考例句：

• Her attitudes solidified through privilege and habit. 由于特权和习惯使然，她的看法变得越来越难以改变。
• When threatened, he fires spheres of solidified air from his launcher! 当危险来临，他就会发射它的弹药！

3 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

4 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

5 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

6 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

7 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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》

9 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

10 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。

11 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。

12 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

13 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。

14 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

15 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

16 resuscitate   

v.使复活，使苏醒

参考例句：

• A policeman and then a paramedic tried to resuscitate her.一名警察和一位护理人员先后试图救活她。
• As instructed by Rinpoche,we got the doctors to resuscitate him.遵照仁波切的指示，我们找来医生帮他进行急救。