美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-09-07

 　　Technology has taken center stage in this run for the White House. Obama and Romney are using every digital tool available to reach voters. For the president, it even included a virtual town hall forum¹ on Reddit, a social news website with just 20 employees but millions of users. With the zero notice, President Obama logged on last Wednesday for an “ask me anything” or AMA. The president answered 10 of the most popular questions, ranging from his thoughts about the space program to who is his favorite basketball player. A lot of users also asked about his thoughts about the drug war, but he ignored the issue. Political observers say his responses probably were not as significant as the mere² idea itself of the president engaging in a digital town hall forum.

　　“TV appearances, debates and conventions were sort of the only way to speak to a mass audience. And now there are starting to be other channels, other ways to talk directly or talk in some sort of forum. And I think that can only improve the access and improve the engagement people feel.”

　　No word yet if Romney will follow a suit on Reddit. His team tried to generate some buzzes for a smart phone app announcing his VP selection, the media though announced it was Paul Ryan before the app did. But it was indicative of the times. And analysts³ say it helped Romney to connect with a slice of younger voters, and it generated media attention.

　　“Campaigning is about communication. It’s about reaching people, it’s about mobilizing people.”

　　So, in that sense, says Berkeley political science professor Jack⁴ Citrin, technology has made politics easier. Messages can be targeted across many different sites and devices. Campaign rhetoric⁵ can be disseminated⁶ much more quickly today with social media. With the benefit of incumbency⁷, Obama has a significant head start. For instance, the president has 19 million followers⁸ on Twitter to Romney’s 1 million. The president is also seen as a pioneer in using tech.

　　“Right now in Washington…”

　　For example, when he took office, he started using YouTube to record his weekly Saturday addresses in addition to the radio. And his 2008 campaign was seen as a trailblazer to harnessing the internet to organize and communicate with supporters. There is also been numerous trips to Silicon⁹ Valley. Face book and LinkedIn town halls, and a high profile dinner involving CEO’s including Mark Zuckerberg and the late Steve Jobs.

　　Aside from the Face book, YouTube and Twitter profiles, the candidates and conventions are also using Google plus, Instagram, Pinterest and Foursquare, services that weren’t around the last election cycle. But Citrin says it’s unclear whether technology truly has an impact on voter behavior.

　　“What we don’t really know, okay, is how effective any of this is in a direct way on public opinion.”

　　But 2012 may be seen as a pivotal year in how elections are fought. Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

3 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。

4 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

5 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

6 disseminated   

散布，传播( disseminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。
• Berkovitz had contracted polio after ingesting a vaccine disseminated under federal supervision. 伯考维茨在接种了在联邦监督下分发的牛痘疫苗后传染上脊髓灰质炎。

7 incumbency   

n.职责，义务

参考例句：

• Every incumbency employee has his year-end bonus.所有的在职员工都可以领到年终奖金。
• Administrator ethic includes administrative incumbency and administrative conscience.行政人员伦理包括行政义务和行政良知。

8 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

9 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。