2007年VOA标准英语-Polls Show Decline in Conservative Values

By Jim Fry
Washington
21 August 2007
 

Opinion polls in the United States show the public's approval of President Bush's performance is approaching a historic low for any modern president.   The polls also show a decline in the public's embrace of the conservative social and economic values that have been the hallmark of Mr. Bush's Republican Party politics.  The trends have political analysts² in Washington and elsewhere wondering whether America is making a political left turn.   VOA's Jim Fry explores the question.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove waves upon his return to the White House in Washington, 24 July 2007

When Karl Rove announced he would leave at the end of this month, the powerful White House aide faced blistering³ criticism.

Many U.S. news reports portrayed⁴ his departure as confirmation⁵ of the president's lame⁶ duck status. "So, I think my friend, I will be on the road behind you here in a little bit," said the president to his long-time advisor⁷ at the White House announcement.

Rove hoped President Bush would usher⁸ in a permanent Republican majority.  Instead, about than one in three Americans now approve of the job Mr. Bush is doing.

Political analyst¹ Stephen Hess says, "Yes, America is turning to the left [going more liberal] modestly at this moment."

Democrats¹⁰ took over Congress in January after sweeping¹¹ into power in elections last November. 

Yet conservative leader Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform says evidence of a leftward tilt¹² in America is far from conclusive¹³. "Had the Democrats won the House and the Senate by campaigning for big government, high taxes and new social programs then you would say, 'Oh my goodness, the country is moving to the left.'  That is exactly what did not happen."

Indeed, some analysts, such as Stephen Hess, say the public's weariness with the Iraq war wears down support for the entire Bush agenda. "The Iraq war so permeates¹⁴ our society at this moment in political terms that it pulls everything else along with it."

Yet on a range of issues, such as health care, public opinion is on the move.  A recent CBS-New York Times poll found nine out of 10 people want either major repairs to the health care system or a complete overhaul¹⁵.

Social conservatism -- a centerpiece of the Bush political base -- is seen to be fading.  The Pew Research Center has been studying values for 20 years. It found a decline in the intensity¹⁶ of religious beliefs and more acceptances of homosexuals.

On poverty, Pew found in the past 12 years, there has been a double-digit increase in the percentage of Americans who say government should care for those who cannot take care of themselves, even if that means incurring¹⁷ more debt.

And Pew found about half of Americans now see an economic system sharply divided between the haves and the have nots.

Andy Stern is president of the Service Employees International Union. He says, "People are up to their ears in debt.  We have had five years -- according to the Census¹⁸ Bureau -- where American workers have not gotten a raise.  People have less stock, less ownership in their homes because of all the home equity¹⁹ loans.  Less personal savings²⁰ than at any time in recent history.  I think it is all a reaction to failure."

By a margin²¹ of more than 10 percent, people tell pollsters they want a Democrat⁹ in the White House. 

By nearly as much, they say they will vote to put Democrats in Congress.  Critics of polls say such findings often are meaningless until voters must choose between specific candidates.

Even if Democrats win more seats in Congress and capture the White House, Hess says fundamental change comes slowly. "Swings between Republican administration and the next Democratic administration -- assuming that I am right that there is one -- may not be as severe as many people think."

In 15 months, the American electorate²² might reject Republican rule entirely²³. But analysts liken an electoral swing to the left to a political pendulum²⁴ that is continually on the move.

1 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。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 blistering   

adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡

参考例句：

• The runners set off at a blistering pace. 赛跑运动员如脱缰野马般起跑了。
• This failure is known as preferential wetting and is responsible for blistering. 这种故障称为优先吸湿，是产生气泡的原因。 来自辞典例句

4 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

6 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

7 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

8 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

9 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。

10 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》

11 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

12 tilt   

v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜

参考例句：

• She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
• The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平，有点儿歪.

13 conclusive   

adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的

参考例句：

• They produced some fairly conclusive evidence.他们提供了一些相当确凿的证据。
• Franklin did not believe that the French tests were conclusive.富兰克林不相信这个法国人的实验是结论性的。

14 permeates   

弥漫( permeate的第三人称单数 )； 遍布； 渗入； 渗透

参考例句：

• Studies show that water vapor quickly permeates plastic packaging material. 研究证明水蒸汽能迅速渗入塑料封装材料。
• Democracy permeates the whole country. 民主主义（的思想）普及全国。

15 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

16 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

17 incurring   

遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。
• He spoke to the Don directly, taking a chance on incurring Michael's ill will. 他直接向老头子谈自己的意见，这显然要冒引起迈克尔反感的风险。 来自教父部分

18 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

19 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

20 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

21 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

22 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

23 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

24 pendulum   

n.摆，钟摆

参考例句：

• The pendulum swung slowly to and fro.钟摆在慢慢地来回摆动。
• He accidentally found that the desk clock did not swing its pendulum.他无意中发现座钟不摇摆了。