VOA标准英语2008年-Republicans Grow More Hopeful About McCain

Republicans who support Senator John McCain for president are growing increasingly confident that their candidate is gaining momentum¹ in his race for the White House with the presumptive Democratic nominee³, Senator Barack Obama. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington.

2008 was supposed to be a Democratic year. Opinion polls have shown growing voter concerns about the U.S. economy, general unhappiness with President Bush and a desire for change.

Despite those Democratic advantages, surveys also show the presidential race between Senators Obama and McCain to be very close.
　
John McCain

The McCain campaign raised $27 million in July, the largest single month total since the Arizona senator effectively clinched⁴ his party's nomination⁵ earlier this year.

Republicans hope that is a sign that McCain can compete with Senator Obama in fundraising. Obama's campaign has set new records in campaign fundraising this year.

Republicans will formally nominate McCain as their presidential candidate the first week in September in Minnesota, one week after the Democrats⁶ do the same for Senator Obama in Colorado.

McCain campaign manager Rick Davis told reporters in a conference call that Republicans are unifying⁷ behind their candidate in advance of their convention.

"We enter our period of time before our convention in a very strong position," he said. "Every public survey we have seen indicates that we have effectively consolidated⁸ the base around John McCain. We have a higher intensity⁹ of support around our Republican base than the Democrats have around theirs."

Most experts believe Democratic voters are more enthusiastic this year, helping¹⁰ to fuel Obama's successful underdog primary campaign against rival Democrat² Hillary Clinton.
　
Barack Obama

Pew Research Center pollster Andrew Kohut says young voters were a key factor in Obama's ability to overtake Clinton during the caucuses¹¹ and primaries.

"Young people throughout the primaries and caucuses were overwhelmingly on Obama's side over Hillary Clinton and the other Democratic candidates," he said. "And in the polls so far in the general election, there is a huge age gap with younger people backing Obama by double-digits and older people, people over 50 and people over 65 for sure, supporting Senator McCain."

But political experts also caution that young voters historically are less likely to show up at the polls on Election Day than older voters.

Senator McCain had the campaign much to himself over the past week since Senator Obama was on vacation in Hawaii. McCain spent a lot of time talking about the crisis in Georgia and took an aggressive line toward Russia. Obama was also critical of Russia's role in the conflict, but was largely out of view for the week.

Both candidates will spend the next several days preparing for two upcoming major events-the announcement of their vice¹² presidential running mates and their national party nominating conventions.

 

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 clinched   

v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的过去式和过去分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议）

参考例句：

• The two businessmen clinched the deal quickly. 两位生意人很快达成了协议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Evidently this information clinched the matter. 显然，这一消息使问题得以最终解决。 来自辞典例句

5 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。

6 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》

7 unifying   

使联合( unify的现在分词 )； 使相同； 使一致； 统一

参考例句：

• In addition, there were certain religious bonds of a unifying kind. 此外，他们还有某种具有一种统一性质的宗教上的结合。
• There is a unifying theme, and that is the theme of information flow within biological systems. 我们可以用一个总的命题，把生物学系统内的信息流来作为这一研究主题。

8 consolidated   

a.联合的

参考例句：

• With this new movie he has consolidated his position as the country's leading director. 他新执导的影片巩固了他作为全国最佳导演的地位。
• Those two banks have consolidated and formed a single large bank. 那两家银行已合并成一家大银行。

9 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 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

12 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。