美国国家公共电台 NPR--Voters aren't sure if they want Biden and Trump to launch 2024 presidential bids

Voters aren't sure if they want Biden and Trump¹ to launch 2024 presidential bids

Transcript²

Many Democratic voters are lukewarm on Biden. Many Republican voters are lukewarm on Trump. As the dust settles from the midterms, we look ahead at what this means for the next big political contest.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Former President Donald Trump says he'll probably run for president again. An announcement could come next week. President Biden says he intends to run for reelection. Nothing is formal yet, though. Polls suggest many Americans are not solidly on board with those plans. White House correspondent Tamara Keith shares what NPR learned when talking with voters during the midterm campaign.

TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE³: It might feel too soon for this conversation, but it isn't really. The shadow race for 2024 is already well underway, and voters are thinking about it - or at least they have plenty of thoughts when asked. President Biden, who turns 80 later this month, is already America's oldest president. And that was weighing on people as we asked them whether he should run again.

J'VETT MCKINSEY: Now that I'm still on the fence about.

KEITH: J'Vett McKinsey is a Democratic voter from North Carolina.

MCKINSEY: Not just because of his performance, but I do think at a certain point, age-wise, you just need to relax, relate, release. And I don't think anything is worth your health and your mental strength and your time with your family.

KEITH: At some point, she said, everybody just needs to hand off the baton⁴. It's a common sentiment, but Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters we spoke⁵ to were also quick to defend Biden - like Cathy Abruscato (ph).

CATHY ABRUSCATO: He stands for a lot of things I stand for. So I think he - you know, he's doing the best he could with what he's got.

KEITH: There was a long pause, though, when I asked her whether Biden should run again.

ABRUSCATO: I don't know about that. I think if we had somebody a little younger, it might be a little bit better. But if he is our choice, I will support him. I mean, he represents what we want in this country.

KEITH: At his press conference Wednesday, Biden was asked about midterm exit polling that found two-thirds of voters don't want him to run. His message to those with reservations?

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Watch me.

KEITH: In 2020, Biden wasn't most Democrats⁶' first choice, but in the end, he consolidated⁷ support behind the idea that he could beat then-President Trump. And he did. And now, in conversations with voters like Jeff Flayter, Trump is a big part of the calculus⁸.

JEFF FLAYTER: Joe's a - I think he's a good person, but I think - in a nice way, I think he's getting a little old, and I think he's - but again, if he's the guy running, I'm going to support him over Trump any day of the week, twice on Sundays.

KEITH: Many voters we spoke to didn't know who would run for the Democrats in the absence of Biden. A president has a tendency to block the sun. That's exactly what former President Trump is aiming to do. At a rally this week, with ominous⁹ music behind him, he teased another run.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DONALD TRUMP: I'm going to be making a very big announcement on Tuesday, November 15, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.

KEITH: Polls indicate a narrow majority of Republicans want Trump to run again. But interviews with voters reveal ambivalence¹⁰.

SCOTT PINSON: I voted for President Trump, but I would not vote for him again.

KEITH: Scott Pinson lives in Alpharetta, Ga.

PINSON: I don't like the documents they found in Mar-a-Lago. There's a lot of things - I didn't like what happened on January 6. There's a lot of things that have really bothered me about him.

KEITH: Tony Vanschaick and his wife Michelle supported Trump before.

TONY VANSCHAICK: He was a nonpolitician, and we needed nonpoliticians. He's just far too polarizing, I think, to - if we can get someone like DeSantis or something out of Florida to run, I think he would make a big difference.

KEITH: What he means by polarizing is that Trump divided Republicans and energized¹¹ Democrats. And Vanschaick is adamant¹² the country needs a Republican in the White House again.

VANSCHAICK: Trump proved that he could not gather the votes the second time around.

KEITH: Diane Kubsch likes Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. As for Trump...

DIANE KUBSCH: Oh, I think he has so much baggage. I just think it's time - go, and - I love him, but I think he should just go and retire at Mar-a-Lago and be happy and just be retired¹³.

KEITH: Retirement¹⁴ may not be in the plans for either Trump or Biden. In the next few weeks, Americans will get a better sense of whether they will be seeking a rematch.

Tamara Keith, NPR News.

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 baton   

n.乐队用指挥杖

参考例句：

• With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
• The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒，乐队开始演奏起来。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

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 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。

8 calculus   

n.微积分；结石

参考例句：

• This is a problem where calculus won't help at all.对于这一题，微积分一点也用不上。
• After studying differential calculus you will be able to solve these mathematical problems.学了微积分之后，你们就能够解这些数学题了。

9 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

10 ambivalence   

n.矛盾心理

参考例句：

• She viewed her daughter's education with ambivalence.她看待女儿的教育问题态度矛盾。
• She felt a certain ambivalence towards him.她对他的态度有些矛盾。

11 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

12 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。

13 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。

14 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。