VOA标准英语10月-Obama, McCain Make Appeals to Undecided Voters

Democrat¹ Barack Obama is trying to hold his lead in the U.S. presidential race in the final days, while Republican John McCain is looking for anything that might give him a last-minute bump in the polls. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone reports on a presidential campaign that has only five days remaining.

As the 2008 presidential campaign begins to draw to a close, most of the battles are being fought in states that have generally voted Republican in recent years, and that is an advantage for Senator Barack Obama.
　

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama reaches to shake hands during a rally at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida, 30 Oct. 2008

MARGIN⁵-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">Obama campaigned Thursday in Florida, where polls show he is in a close race with Senator McCain.

Republicans generally count on Florida as a must-win state in the state-by-state battle to accumulate the 270 electoral votes necessary to claim the White House.

Obama told a rally that President Bush has driven the U.S. economy into a ditch, and that Republican John McCain would keep it there if he won.

Obama also accused McCain of offering little more than attacks in the final days of the campaign.

If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as somebody people should be afraid of," Obama said. "You make big elections about small things. Well, Florida, we are here to say, not this time. Not this year. Not with so much at stake. John McCain might be worried about losing an election, but I'm worried about you losing your job and losing your house!"

Obama was back on the campaign trail one day after campaigning with former President Bill Clinton, and after spending millions of dollars to air a 30-minute prime time ad on several national TV networks.

Republican John McCain meanwhile is running short of time, money and possibly support in the final days of the campaign.
　

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain smiles while being introduced during his 'Road to Victory' Rally at Defiance2 Junior High School in Defiance, Ohio, 30 Oct. 2008

McCain looked for a pre-election revival³ at a rally Thursday in the appropriately named town of Defiance, Ohio. No Republican has ever won the presidency⁴ without winning Ohio, going back to Abraham Lincoln in 1860.

Like Obama, McCain kept his focus on the economy and continued his attack on Obama's tax plan, which he said would amount to a redistribution of wealth from rich to poor.

"Senator Obama is running to be 'redistributionist in chief'," McCain said. "I'm running to be commander in chief! Senator Obama is running to spread the wealth. I'm running to create more wealth!"

McCain also attacked Obama on foreign policy, saying the Illinois senator lacks what it takes to protect the country from terrorists.

McCain continues to trail Obama by an average of about six points in national polls. Obama also leads McCain or is tied with him in several key states that will provide the margin of victory on Tuesday.

However, Obama's lead in some states like Virginia and Indiana may be narrowing.

American University presidential historian Allan Lichtman says McCain could help himself with undecided voters by returning to the more moderate tone of his first presidential campaign eight years ago.

"I think he can make some headway," Lichtman said. "I don't think he can turn around the election. But my advice to Senator McCain is fire the consultants⁷, fire the handlers, fire the speechwriters. Get rid of them all and spend the rest of the campaign being the McCain you were in 2000."

Meanwhile, McCain's vice⁶ presidential running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, is hinting that she intends to remain active in national politics win or lose on Election Day.

Palin was asked on ABC's Good Morning America if she was bothered by the sharp criticism she has received from the Democrats⁸.

"I think that if I were to give up and wave a white flag of surrender against some of the political shots that we have taken, I'm not doing this for naught⁹! No, we are going to progress," Palin said. "We are going to keep going forward. So, it is all worth it and I'm not complaining about any of it."

Palin has energized¹⁰ social conservatives but alienated¹¹ some moderates who question her readiness to be president should something happen to John McCain, who is 72, and would be the oldest person ever elected to a first term as president.

1 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。

2 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

3 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

4 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。

5 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。

6 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。

7 consultants   

顾问( consultant的名词复数 )； 高级顾问医生，会诊医生

参考例句：

• a firm of management consultants 管理咨询公司
• There're many consultants in hospital. 医院里有很多会诊医生。

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 naught   

n.无，零 [=nought]

参考例句：

• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
• I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。

10 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

11 alienated   

adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• His comments have alienated a lot of young voters. 他的言论使许多年轻选民离他而去。
• The Prime Minister's policy alienated many of her followers. 首相的政策使很多拥护她的人疏远了她。 来自《简明英汉词典》