VOA常速英语2008年-Candidates Use Identity Politics to Attract Vot

By Jeffrey Young
Washington
04 April 2008
 

It is human nature for people to associate with and support others like themselves -- based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender¹ and other factors. In this segment of How America Elects, VOA's Jeffrey Young examines the impact of so-called identity politics.

Presidential contender Barack Obama went into the South Carolina Democratic Party primary in January with opinion surveys showing him to be the choice of about 60 percent of that state's African-American Democrats². But exit polls that day showed that Senator Obama finished with more than 80 percent of their votes.  Political analysts⁴ say that surge was the result of something they call identity politics.

That human tendency to identify with people who share our characteristics has a direct effect at the ballot⁵ box, says Georgetown University government professor Mark Rom. "'Identity politics' is when someone casts a vote for a person because of their race, their gender or their ethnicity -- something they can identify with in themselves, and want to see in a candidate," he said.

Analysts say that identity politics came to the forefront in South Carolina after former President Bill Clinton compared Senator Obama's historic bid for the nomination⁶ to another, earlier African-American presidential candidate.

"Jesse Jackson won South Carolina twice in 1984 and 1988, and he ran a good campaign,” Clinton said. “And, Senator Obama has run a good campaign here."

Obama is the first African-American that has demonstrated broad multi-racial appeal. A number of African-American voters felt the remark diminished Obama's candidacy and perhaps was meant to turn non-African-Americans away from him.

"When race is being used in campaigns to mobilize white voters, African-Americans then most identify themselves and their politics, and behave in terms of politics, as African-Americans," says David Bositis, who is an analyst³ at an African-American centered, independent research group, The Joint⁷ Center for Political and Economic Studies.

Identity politics is involved in the campaigns of other presidential candidates, too. Senator Hillary Clinton is the first woman to have a serious chance to gain her party's nomination. And many women Democrats, especially those of her middle-aged⁸ generation, have embraced this historic opportunity.

"American women have waited a very long time to have the chance to vote for someone like them for president," Rom said.

The Republican Party's presumptive nominee⁹, Senator John McCain, practices what some observers call a different form of identity politics -- shared strong beliefs.

McCain TV Ad: "Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together."

In this ad, McCain appealed to voters who see national pride, security and military strength as paramount¹⁰.

"Politics is the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible," Hilary Clinton said.

Critics of identity politics say it is oftentimes divisive. But if candidates and their parties can gain advantage by using it, they will.

1 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

2 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》

3 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。

4 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。

5 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

6 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。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

9 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。

10 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。