VOA标准英语2008年-Immigration Issue Dominates GOP Race

By Leta Hong Fincher
Washington
09 January 2008
 

Illegal immigration has emerged as a dominant¹ campaign issue for Republicans seeking the presidential nomination², with candidates competing to appear the most conservative. But Latino political organizations warn that the harsh stance on immigrants is alienating³ Latino voters crucial to a Republican victory in the general election. Leta Hong Fincher has more.

Mitt⁴ Romney attacked Senator John McCain in the run-up to the New Hampshire primary for backing legislation to offer illegal immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship⁵.

"In my opinion, that's a form of amnesty. In my opinion, that is wrong, that will only encourage more illegal immigration. It's time to stop illegal immigration," he said.

Immigration dominated their exchange during the Republican presidential debate Saturday, January 5, on the ABC News TV network:

Romney: "They should not be given a special right to stay here."
McCain: "There is no special right associated with my plan. I said they should not be in any way rewarded for illegal behavior."
Romney: "Are they sent home?"
McCain: "They have to get in line..."
Romney: "Are they sent home?"
McCain: "... behind everybody else."
Romney: "Are they sent home?"
McCain: "Some of them are, some of them are not."

Political analysts⁶ say the Republican Party has become more conservative on immigration since President Bush's failed effort over the past two years to promote immigration reform. The legislation would bolster⁷ security and offer 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States a path to citizenship.

Romney would cut federal funding to cities that refuse to comply with immigration laws. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee would give illegal immigrants 120 days to register with federal authorities and leave the country.

McCain has come under attack from his rivals for wanting to give illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. Even so, he supports a vast increase in U.S. border surveillance.

But how many voters across the United States consider illegal immigration their top issue in choosing the next president?  Not many, says Scott Keeter, who directs survey research at the Pew Research Center in Washington. "Immigration has consistently been near the bottom of the list in terms of the percentage [of voters] saying that it's very important."

Still, Keeter says that taking a tough stance on illegal immigration could energize⁸ a minority of conservative Republican voters to turn out on election day. "There is this intense minority that opposes [illegal immigration], wants to see all illegal immigrants leave the country, and their voting power may be greater than their numbers simply because they feel so strongly about the issue," he explained.

Latino political organizations warn that the Republican strategy could backfire by alienating Latino voters.

Cecilia Muñoz supervises public policy at the National Council of La Raza, the largest Latino advocacy group in the country. She said the candidates are mistaken if they think the issue is a small one. "These candidates think that they can draw a box around illegal immigrants and say 'we just mean them, and so Latinos who are voters, who are U.S. citizens shouldn't be a problem;' but they're mistaken because they're really attacking the entire community," said Muñoz.

Muñoz notes Latinos are the fastest growing sector⁹ of the U.S. electorate¹⁰, and that at least nine million Latinos are expected to vote in November's general election.

"One wonders when one of these candidates wins the nomination for their party, how they're going to turn around and try to entice¹¹ the Latino vote after they've been essentially¹² insulting this community throughout the primary season," she said. "I don't think it can be done."

Muñoz adds that President Bush won about 40 percent of the Latino vote during his reelection bid in 2004. She and other pollsters argue that the eventual¹³ Republican nominee¹⁴ in 2008 will not gain anywhere near that level of Latino support.

1 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

2 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。

3 alienating   

v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• The phenomena of alienation are widespread. Sports are also alienating. 异化现象普遍存在，体育运动也不例外。 来自互联网
• How can you appeal to them without alienating the mainstream crowd? 你是怎么在不疏忽主流玩家的情况下吸引住他们呢？ 来自互联网

4 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。

5 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

6 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。

7 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

8 energize   

vt.给予(某人或某物)精力、能量

参考例句：

• It is used to energize the city.它的作用是为城市供给能量。
• This is a great way to energize yourself and give yourself more power!这种方法非常棒，可以激活你的能量，让你有更多的活力！

9 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

10 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。

11 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

12 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

13 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

14 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。