VOA常速英语2008年-US Presidential Campaign Focuses on Maryland, V

By Jim Malone
Washington
11 February 2008

The focus of the U.S. presidential race shifts to the mid-Atlantic region of the country Tuesday, with nominating primaries in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has a preview.

In the battle for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination¹, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois will be looking to build on his momentum² after winning four contests on Saturday and Sunday.

Obama won a primary in Louisiana and caucuses³ in Nebraska, Washington state and Maine.

"I am here to say that my bet has paid off," he said. "My faith in the American people has been vindicated⁴, because, everywhere I go, people say they want a new direction for the country."

Public opinion polls show Obama has a lead over Senator Hillary Clinton in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Following his sweep of the weekend contests, Clinton replaced campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle with longtime aide Maggie Williams.

Despite the latest losses, Senator Clinton remains⁵ upbeat, and is quick to point out a recent surge in fundraising.

"So many people responded - they went to my Web site, Hillary Clinton.com - that we have raised since Tuesday $10 million," she said.

The latest delegate count estimate by The Associated Press shows both Clinton and Obama with about 1,000 delegates apiece. It takes 2,025 to secure the Democratic Party nomination.

Clinton campaign officials are already looking past the Tuesday primaries to the March 4 contests in Texas and Ohio, where polls show her in the lead.

On the Republican side, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is hoping for a good showing in Tuesday's primary in Virginia.

Huckabee is looking to build momentum after he defeated frontrunner John McCain in contests in Kansas and Louisiana, while McCain pulled out a narrow victory in Washington state.

Huckabee told NBC's Today program he will remain in the race, despite McCain's huge lead in the delegate count.

"The Republican Party is not a party that likes to be told what to do," he said. "A lot of the establishment wants to just say it is over, and why do we not just have a coronation? But we are supposed to have an election, and that means people get to choose."

Huckabee's victories in Kansas and Louisiana suggest McCain has more work to do to win over conservative Republicans, who have long questioned his commitment to tax cuts and stopping illegal immigration.

But McCain is getting some high-profile help from President Bush. Mr. Bush told Fox News Sunday that he believes McCain is a true conservative, but that he needs to continue to reach out to conservatives within the Republican Party.

"You cannot please all of the people all of the time," he said. "But part of a campaign is for the nominee⁶ of a party to rally the party, and to rally the folks who are going to end up being the base from which he operates."

The president did not formally endorse⁷ McCain, but did say he was willing to campaign on behalf of the eventual⁸ Republican nominee.

McCain already has about half of the delegates he needs to win the party nomination.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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

4 vindicated   

v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护

参考例句：

• I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated. 我完全相信这一决定的正确性将得到充分证明。
• Subsequent events vindicated the policy. 后来的事实证明那政策是对的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 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。

7 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

8 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。