VOA常速英语2008年-Youth Vote Growing in US Presidential Contests

By Alex Villarreal
Washington, DC
07 February 2008
 

The Millennial¹ Generation -- Americans 30 and younger -- is a growing force in U.S. politics. Political researchers say millennials of voting age now number nearly 50 million, close to a quarter of the electorate². By 2015, they will make up one-third. Conventional wisdom is that young people do not vote, but that trend is changing. VOA's Alex Villarreal has more.

Young voters are flocking to the polls in record numbers this U.S. presidential election year.

The independent research group CIRCLE [the Center for Information and Research on Civic³ Learning and Engagement], reports that youth turnout rates in many state primaries and caucuses⁴ have doubled, tripled, and, in the case of Tennessee, even quadrupled.

Fritz Wenzel is the communications director at the polling firm Zogby International. He says the numbers reflect a new wave of civic-minded youth. "They're excited. They understand that the issues at stake are important to them and their future and they're actually doing something about it."

And the candidates are responding. They are speaking directly to young voters, encouraging them to get involved.

Senator Hillary Clinton is the Democratic Party's front-runner. She said at a recent rally, "I want to thank the young people across New Hampshire who came out."

Candidates are also using social networking Web sites and other youth-oriented media to mobilize support. And they are addressing youth concerns, like the ones voiced during a recent forum⁶ sponsored by MTV, MySpace, and the Associated Press.

An audience member asked Republican candidate Ron Paul: "As president of the United States, what role will you make sure the U.S. has in ensuring that the genocide in Darfur does not become the new Rwanda?"

The Student Association for Voter Empowerment, or SAVE, says youth-targeted strategies have had a huge effect on turnout.

"The level of outreach to youth has never been done to the level as this cycle. We have Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Mitt⁷ Romney, Ron Paul all hiring full-time⁸ youth outreach coordinators and when youth are taken seriously as a constituency and reached out to, they deliver in return," says Matthew Segal, who is SAVE's executive director.

The candidate having the most success so far with young voters is Obama. The Illinois Democrat⁵ received 57 percent of the 17-to-29 year-old Democrats⁹' vote in the first primary season battle in Iowa. And he has received similar majorities in other primaries and caucuses since, even some where Clinton won the overall vote.

Robert Pastor¹⁰ heads American University's Center for Democracy and Election Management. He says youth are inspired by Obama's message of change. "He reflects a new generation, a new generation's view of the world, a desire on the part of the new generation to change things in a dramatic fashion, in bold fashion and all of those things, I think, are part of what excited young people to participate and vote for him."

Maintaining that participation¹¹ could be key to either Obama or Clinton winning the presidency¹². Zogby polls show that Millennial voters favor Democrats over Republicans three to one.

1 millennial   

一千年的，千福年的

参考例句：

• Both Russia and America looked to the future to fulfill their millennial expectations. 俄国和美国都把实现他们黄金时代的希望寄托于未来。
• The millennial generation is celebrating the global commons every day, apparently unmindful of Hardin's warning. 千禧一代显然对哈丁的警告不以为然，每天都在颂扬全球“公地”。

2 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。

3 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

4 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

5 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。

6 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。

7 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。

8 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

9 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》

10 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

11 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

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。