VOA标准英语2012--Undecided Voters Key to 'Super Tuesday' Vote in Ohio

Undecided Voters Key to 'Super Tuesday' Vote in Ohio

“This is an incredible opportunity we have to exercise the rights that God has given us, but also our civic² responsibility and our spiritual responsibility,” said Pastor³ Matt Keller, Sunday morning at Calvary Bible Baptist Church is Westerville, Ohio.

Dave Sexton, a student pastor, says a candidate's morality and traditional values are most important. He says he probably will vote for former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, but with reservations. 

“I would love to see if there were a true both fiscal⁴ and moral conservative person running, and I don't know that we have that candidate in the race,” said Sexton.

The economy is the key issue for most voters in this Midwestern state dotted with farms and manufacturing plants that have shed jobs in recent years.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt⁵ Romney and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum are leading in public opinion surveys here.

At a Santorum rally outside of Cincinnati, voters say they admire Santorum's traditional values. But voter George Brown says he wants to be sure about Santorum's appeal. He says a candidate will need charisma⁶ to defeat President Barack Obama in November.

“I just want to see how Rick would react in person with a crowd, see how personable he is, just to kind of get a better feel for it,” said Brown.

Wyatt Baker⁷ attended Mitt Romney's casual dinner event held in downtown Cincinnati.

“Being busy with college and stuff, it's kind of hard for me to get the big picture-type thing," said Baker. "But from the bits and pieces I've seen, I'm a Mitt supporter as of now.” 

A recent public opinion survey shows that 43 percent of Ohio voters are uncertain who will get their vote.

That is even the case among very politically engaged people at a Delaware County Republican Party dinner, just outside of Columbus.

“I really haven't made up my mind yet, honestly," said Jeff Benton, a retired⁸ banker."There are parts or aspects of the each of the four candidates that I really like and some that I'm bothered by.”

Voters usually place more importance on economic issues rather than on social policies when they cast their ballots⁹, says political scientist Jennifer Lawless of American University in Washington. 

“Mitt Romney is certainly seen as more credible¹ than Santorum on the economy," she said."Rick Santorum is seen as more credible as the true social conservative.” 

And both men are looking to win over these undecided voters who could tip the balance on Tuesday.

1 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

2 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。

3 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。

4 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

5 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。

6 charisma   

n.(大众爱戴的)领袖气质，魅力

参考例句：

• He has enormous charisma. He is a giant of a man.他有超凡的个人魅力，是个伟人。
• I don't have the charisma to pull a crowd this size.我没有那么大的魅力，能吸引这么多人。

7 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

8 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

9 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》