VOA常速英语2008年-Obama Momentum Picks Up With Dodd Endorsement

By Jim Malone
Washington
26 February 2008

Presidential contender Barack Obama won the endorsement¹ of a former rival Tuesday in his battle with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination². Obama also got some good news in national polls as he and Clinton prepare for a debate later Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. VOA national correspondent Jim Malone is following the presidential campaign from Washington.

Obama was endorsed³ by Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut. Dodd pulled out of the presidential race shortly after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses⁴ in early January.

"I believe Barack Obama has the experience, the ability, the vision to lead this country and to make a difference for us, both at home and abroad, a significant difference. The hour is getting late and that opportunity is not going to last forever," he said.

Dodd endorsed Obama at a news conference in Cleveland where Obama is campaigning one week before crucial primaries in Ohio and Texas that could be decisive in the battle for the party nomination.

Two new national public opinion polls show Obama has moved into a healthy lead over Clinton. A New York Times/CBS News poll has Obama out in front by a margin⁵ of 54 to 38 percent. Another survey by USA Today and the Gallup organization shows Obama leading Clinton 51 to 39 percent.

Obama says he remains⁶ focused on the upcoming primaries in Texas and Ohio on March 4. But he is also looking ahead to a possible general election match-up with the presumed Republican candidate, Senator John McCain of Arizona.

"John and I are going to have a big set of disagreements and we are going to have a vigorous debate, because I think that he has tied himself to a set of policies that are not good for America and are policies that I intend to reverse when I am president of the United States," he said.

Clinton is hoping to stop Obama's momentum⁷ in Texas and Ohio. Clinton leads in the latest polls in Ohio and is about even with Obama in Texas.

Clinton has been touting⁸ her foreign policy experience as an asset in recent campaign rallies and speeches.

"The American people do not have to guess whether I understand the issues or whether I would need a foreign policy instruction manual to guide me through a crisis, or whether I would have to rely on advisers⁹ to introduce me to global affairs," she said.

Both campaigns are trading accusations¹⁰ over a photograph circulating on the Internet that shows Obama in traditional African garb¹¹ during a visit to Kenya in 2006. The Obama camp accused the Clinton campaign of circulating the photo as part of a smear¹² campaign, a charge the Clinton campaign denied.

In the Republican race, McCain continues to lead former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee in both Texas and Ohio. A McCain sweep of the upcoming primaries on March 4 would move him to within striking distance of securing the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch¹³ the Republican nomination.

McCain told reporters during a campaign stop in Ohio that his chances of winning the election in November could hinge on his ability to convince Americans to stay the course in Iraq.

"I believed this new strategy would succeed in Iraq, not because I am the smartest guy in the world, but because I studied and I have had 20 years of experience in every major national security challenge this nation has faced," he said.

In the latest general election match-ups in the USA Today-Gallup poll, Obama defeated McCain by a margin of 49 to 45 percent, while McCain led Clinton by 49 to 47 percent.

1 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

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 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 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 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

8 touting   

v.兜售( tout的现在分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网

9 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

10 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

11 garb   

n.服装，装束

参考例句：

• He wore the garb of a general.他身着将军的制服。
• Certain political,social,and legal forms reappear in seemingly different garb.一些政治、社会和法律的形式在表面不同的外衣下重复出现。

12 smear   

v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.他一直在散布谎言企图诽谤我们。
• There's a smear on your shirt.你衬衫上有个污点。

13 clinch   

v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench

参考例句：

• Clinch the boards together.用钉子把木板钉牢在一起。
• We don't accept us dollars,please Swiss francs to clinch a deal business.我方不收美元，请最好用瑞士法郎来成交生意。