VOA标准英语2010年-Palin Cultivates Political Profile

Former Alaska governor and vice¹ presidential candidate emerging as force within Republican Party and among conservative activists²

Jim Malone | Washington 09 February 2010

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin addresses conservative activists at the inaugural³ National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, Tennessee (file photo)

Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is emerging as a political force within the Republican Party and among grassroots conservative activists around the country.  Palin recently said she would consider a presidential bid in 2012.

Sarah Palin emerged from national obscurity in 2008 to become Republican presidential candidate John McCain's vice presidential running mate.

Palin made her share of political gaffes⁴ during the campaign, which became fodder⁵ for late-night comedians⁶ on television.

But Palin also endeared herself to social conservative activists, many of whom would like to see her run for president in 2012.

Palin was in the spotlight⁷ recently, addressing what was called the Tea Party convention - a loose coalition⁸ of anti-tax, conservative and libertarian activists meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

"This movement is about the people.  Who can argue [with] a movement that is about the people and for the people.  Remember, all political power is inherent in the people and government is supposed to be working for the people.  That is what this movement is about," Palin said.

The Tea Party movement, which takes its name from a significant American Revolutionary War event, played a significant role in drumming up grassroots opposition⁹ to President Barack Obama's health care reform plan and in raising concerns about the country's growing budget deficit¹⁰.

Palin has also embarked¹¹ on a rigorous schedule of campaigning for Republican candidates for this year's midterm congressional elections in November.

Palin recently campaigned in Texas, where Republican Governor Rick Perry faces a primary challenge from Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.  Next month, the former Alaska governor heads to Arizona to campaign for her former running mate, Senator John McCain, who faces a challenge in the Republican primary from former Representative J.D. Hayworth.

A recent public opinion survey put Palin at the top of the list of Republican presidential hopefuls for the 2012 election.  She was asked on the "Fox News Sunday" television program whether she would consider running two years from now.

"I would. I would, if I believed that that is the right thing to do for our country and for the Palin family.  Certainly, I would do so," she said.

Palin is popular among grassroots conservatives around the country, especially those with conservative views on social issues, such as abortion¹².  But many voters continue to question Palin's intelligence and her grasp of issues - concerns that first arose during her sometimes faltering¹³ performance in television interviews during the 2008 campaign.

Despite the doubts, many Republican strategists see Palin as a political force to be reckoned with this year, and she is in demand as a campaigner by Republican candidates around the country.

Former Republican national chairman Ed Gillespie spoke¹⁴ on NBC television's Meet the Press program.

"And she has an incredible capacity to connect with people and their concerns.  And I find myself baffled by some of the consternation¹⁵ about Sarah Palin sometimes because I find her to be a pretty compelling figure and someone obviously who resonated very strongly in that room in Nashville [at the Tea Party convention]," Gillespie said.

Polls show that Democrats¹⁶ and a sizable number of independents have a generally negative view of Palin.  Palin critics also noted¹⁷ that she had scribbled¹⁸ notes on her hand prior to her speech at the Tea Party convention about broad themes like tax cuts and energy.  Cameras captured her appearing to look down at the notes during a question and answer session.

Some Republicans have also expressed reservations about Palin and the possibility that she might seek the party's presidential nomination¹⁹ in 2012.

David Frum is a conservative political commentator²⁰ who was a speechwriter for former President George W. Bush.  He says he was not impressed with Palin's best-selling autobiography²¹ entitled Going Rogue²².

"When you read a book, you are in direct contact with the mind of another human being, without the distraction²³ of their physical presence, of their image, of their tics [i.e., personality traits].  It is mind to mind communication.  When you are in mind to mind to communication with Sarah Palin, it is not that interesting.  There is not much there," Frum said.

For now, Palin is splitting time between appearing as a commentator for the Fox News Channel, giving paid speeches and campaigning for Republican candidates.

 

1 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。

2 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》

3 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

4 gaffes   

n.失礼，出丑( gaffe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The presidential candidate made three mistakes, or gaffes, during his speech. 校长候选人在演讲中出了三次错，或失态。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• When the microphones were on, gaffes gushed from his lips. 而当电话响起，他却口无遮拦，屡屡失言。 来自互联网

5 fodder   

n.草料；炮灰

参考例句：

• Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.割下来晒干用作饲料的草。
• Guaranteed salt intake, no matter which normal fodder.不管是那一种正常的草料，保证盐的摄取。

6 comedians   

n.喜剧演员，丑角( comedian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The voice was rich, lordly, Harvardish, like all the boring radio comedians'imitations. 声音浑厚、威严，俨然是哈佛出身的气派，就跟无线电里所有的滑稽演员叫人已经听腻的模仿完全一样。 来自辞典例句
• He distracted them by joking and imitating movie and radio comedians. 他用开玩笑的方法或者模仿电影及广播中的滑稽演员来对付他们。 来自辞典例句

7 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

11 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

12 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

13 faltering   

犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的

参考例句：

• The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。
• I canfeel my legs faltering. 我感到我的腿在颤抖。

14 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。

15 consternation   

n.大为吃惊，惊骇

参考例句：

• He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
• Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。

16 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》

17 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

18 scribbled   

v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下

参考例句：

• She scribbled his phone number on a scrap of paper. 她把他的电话号码匆匆写在一张小纸片上。
• He scribbled a note to his sister before leaving. 临行前，他给妹妹草草写了一封短信。

19 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。

20 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

21 autobiography   

n.自传

参考例句：

• He published his autobiography last autumn.他去年秋天出版了自己的自传。
• His life story is recounted in two fascinating volumes of autobiography.这两卷引人入胜的自传小说详述了他的生平。

22 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

23 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。