2006年VOA标准英语-Activists Spur Movement to Mobilize US Politica

By Jim Malone
Washington
23 June 2006

Political activists¹, frustrated² by the polarized nature of American politics, have decided³ to do something about it in time for the next U.S. presidential election in 2008.

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Unity08.com screenshot
  
The effort to mobilize political moderates around the country is called Unity08.

It is a centrist effort that seeks to harness the power of the Internet to nominate a bipartisan presidential ticket two years from now, in hopes of capturing support from political moderates, who are fed up with both major political parties.

The group is led by longtime Republican election strategist Doug Bailey and Democrat⁵ Hamilton Jordan, who was President Jimmy Carter's chief of staff.

"We think the system is broken," said Mr. Jordan.  "I personally think, if our country continues on the direction it is on now for another 15 or 20 years, I think our children will grow up in a much different country.  So, we are people that are not satisfied with the current political system, not satisfied with the status quo and are working to offer the American voters an alternative in 2008."

Jordan says his group will rely on the Internet for nominations⁶ for president and vice⁷ president.  He cites moderates like Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and former Democratic Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia as the type of candidates who would appeal to political centrists.

"We have created a platform for a national conversation, but ultimately, we are going to use the Internet to nominate and support a [presidential and vice presidential] ticket in '08 that is composed of a Democrat and/or Republican on top, a bipartisan ticket, and we think we can win," he added.

Jordan says he is aware that peeling away support from the Republican and Democratic parties in a congressional election year, one when activists in both parties are energized⁸, is a major challenge.

Political analysts⁹ point to opinion polls in recent years that show a growing number of Americans have become disenchanted with what they see as polarized politics in Washington.

"But what has happened here is that we have had this sharp division in perceptions about what is good and what is bad between Democrats¹⁰ and Republicans, sharper than we can ever remember it," said Norman Ornstein, who monitors the U.S. political scene at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.

Election year appeals to centrists are often overshadowed by partisan⁴ rhetoric¹¹ from both parties.

Democrats last controlled Congress in 1994, and this year hope to regain¹² a majority in one or both chambers¹³ of Congress.

"Because we have to take back the Congress, in order to stop this administration and their unaccountable undermining of our constitutional democracy," said Senator Hillary Clinton of New York.

Republicans are equally adamant¹⁴ about trying to keep their majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives.

"Well, I think 2006 does not look like a great Republican year, that is for sure," said Fred Barnes, an editor with the Weekly Standard magazine.  "I suspect that Republicans will run a very strong campaign in the fall, and the effect will be to neutralize¹⁵ a bad situation for them, not so that they will gain seats, but that they will probably hold on to the House and the Senate."

Some observers believe the time may be right for a new appeal to the political center.

Former Republican Congressman¹⁶ John Kasich of Ohio was a recent guest on VOA's Press Conference USA program.

"We have a choice.  Are we going to be partisans¹⁷ like they are today, and trash [say bad things about] your opponent, or do you want to remember the days when politics under [former President] Franklin Roosevelt or a [former President] Ronald Reagan, where things really made a difference in terms of the way the country functions," he said.

The last time a third party had a major impact on a presidential election was in 1992, when Texas businessman Ross Perot won 19 percent of the popular vote against then President George Bush, and the man who won the White House that year, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

5 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。

6 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

7 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。

8 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

9 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。

10 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》

11 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。

12 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

13 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

14 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。

15 neutralize   

v.使失效、抵消，使中和

参考例句：

• Nothing could neutralize its good effects.没有什么能抵消它所产生的好影响。
• Acids neutralize alkalis and vice versa.酸能使碱中和碱，亦能使酸中和。

16 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

17 partisans   

游击队员( partisan的名词复数 )； 党人； 党羽； 帮伙

参考例句：

• Every movement has its partisans. 每一运动都有热情的支持者。
• He was rescued by some Italian partisans. 他被几名意大利游击队员所救。