VOA标准英语2008年-New Polls Show Obama's Lead Surging Over McCain

Two new public opinion polls give Democrat¹ Barack Obama a sizable lead over Republican John McCain in the U.S. presidential race. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on the election campaign from Washington.
　
Barack Obama poses with members of the California Highway Patrol, 24 Jun 2008

One survey by the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg News found Obama leading McCain by a margin² of 49 to 37 percent. Another poll earlier this week by Newsweek magazine put Obama's lead at 15 points.

Other recent surveys show McCain trailing by anywhere from three to six points.

Political experts say Obama's lead is likely due to increasing voter concerns about the weakening U.S. economy, especially the rising cost of fuel.

"High gas prices and job losses, the economic recession, but more generally, the economic insecurity associated with globalization, the stagnant³ wages of most ordinary American households," said Thomas Mann, a political scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington. "I think all of that bodes⁴ well for Democrats⁵ in the campaign."

Given the Democrat's advantage on the economy, political strategists predict Senator McCain will focus on his experience in foreign policy and national security.
　
John McCain in Santa Barbara, California, 24 Jun 2008

McCain sharply disagrees with Obama's plan to begin pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq shortly after taking office.

"I believe that we will withdraw over time," McCain said. "I believe that it will be set by facts on the ground, not by an artificial timetable. And I believe we will come home with victory and honor, and not with defeat."

Public opinion polls have long showed most Americans do not believe the Iraq war was worth the cost. But the polls also indicate they are divided over whether to withdraw U.S. troops before Iraq is stabilized⁶.

Obama says he favors a measured approach to pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq.

"We have to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in," he said. "I have proposed getting one to two brigades, combat brigades, out per month. At that rate, we are talking about maybe 16 months to get our combat troops out."

On Friday, Senator Obama will make his first joint⁷ campaign appearance with former Democratic Party rival Hillary Clinton. They will appear in the small town of Unity⁸, New Hampshire, where the two candidates each received 107 votes in January's primary, in which Senator Clinton won the total state vote.

Clinton returned to work in the Senate this week for the first time since she suspended her presidential campaign and endorsed⁹ Obama earlier this month.

　

 

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 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。

3 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

4 bodes   

v.预示，预告，预言( bode的第三人称单数 )；等待，停留( bide的过去分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待

参考例句：

• This bodes ill for the failure of the programme. 这是那项计划有凶兆。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• This bodes him no good. 这对他是不祥之兆。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 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》

6 stabilized   

v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The patient's condition stabilized. 患者的病情稳定下来。
• His blood pressure has stabilized. 他的血压已经稳定下来了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

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 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

9 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》