2006年VOA标准英语-Independents Liven Up Race for Texas Governor

By Greg Flakus
Houston
31 October 2006

The race for governor of Texas has been spiced up this year by two colorful and outspoken¹ candidates, one a tough-talking grandmother and the other a self-described Jewish cowboy.  But Governor Rick Perry has been using his hard stance on border security as an issue to maintain a comfortable lead.

The two top concerns of voters in Texas, according to a recent poll, are the war in Iraq and immigration. The state governor cannot do much about Iraq, but he can talk tough on the border.

The Rio Grande River, which separates Texas from Mexico, accounts for about half of the 3000-kilometer border between the United States and Mexico, and crime has been a particular problem in the border region.

In a recent televised debate with his three main challengers, Governor Perry highlighted the border law enforcement programs he initiated².

 
Texas Governor Rick Perry 
"We developed a plan, 'Operation Linebacker-Operation Rio Grande,' which has done a great job at stopping that illegal activity,” said Governor Perry.  “We will do everything we need to do and can do in this state until Washington understands that you cannot have national security and you cannot have an immigration program until you have border security."

Governor Perry's tough rhetoric³ is somewhat at odds⁴ with the policy of the man he replaced as Texas governor, President Bush. 

The president favors what has become known as comprehensive immigration reform; that is, tougher enforcement of immigration laws coupled with a guest-worker program and a path towards citizenship⁵ for illegal immigrants who are already in the country.

That is the same approach favored by Perry's Democratic opponent, Chris Bell, who also wants to punish those who hire illegal workers.

 
Democratic Candidate Chris Bell
"I want to crack down on employers,” said Mr. Bell.  “I think if we had not been turning and looking the other way for years and allowing employers to hire illegal aliens we probably would not be having this debate."

In years past, the contest over the governor's mansion⁶ would have been a clear-cut race between Bell and Perry, but Bell has been overshadowed by two independent candidates, both of whom are colorful characters.

One is tough-talking Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton-Strayhorn, who has challenged Governor Perry on such issues as balancing the state budget.  She declined to run in the Republican primary against Perry, running as an independent instead. She has attempted a run to the right of Perry on the border issue.

 
Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton-Strayhorn
"I want the Texas Rangers⁷ to be in charge and that will stop the illegal immigration and then we will implement⁸ a fair, legal immigration program," she said.

The idea of Texans being outspoken and free of spirit is the core appeal of independent candidate Richard "Kinky" Friedman, who is rarely seen without his black cowboy hat and a large cigar.

Friedman started capitalizing on his combined Jewish and Texas heritage back in the 1970's as a singer-songwriter, penning such songs as "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore."  He later turned to writing humor-filled mystery novels.  He announced his candidacy last year with slogans like "How hard could it be?"

Kinky Friedman's approach to immigration involves sending 10,000 National Guard troops to the border.

 
Richard 'Kinky' Friedman
"There are crime syndicates, we are not talking about an illegal running through a field here,” he said.  “We are talking about dead bodies in the back of trucks and people trafficking weapons, people, and drugs.  Whatever it takes, let us stop it."

Friedman also draws on Texas history, referring to the 1836 battle of the Alamo in which the Mexican army massacred Texas rebels led by Colonel William Travis.

"Colonel Travis drew a line in the sand and the men who crossed it at the Alamo knew they were going to die,” he added.  “There is another line called the border.  Let us honor and protect it and respect it."

Such talk has little appeal to Hispanic voters in Texas.  They tend to see border enforcement proposals as aimed at people who share their culture and language. 

Friedman has also offended blacks, in one case by suggesting that all the worthwhile people among the mostly black evacuees⁹ from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina last year had already returned home, leaving Texas with what he described as "the crackheads and the thugs."  After that statement, Friedman fell from second to fourth place in some polls.

Despite of, or maybe because of, his rejection¹⁰ of political correctness, Friedman still counts on a lot of support from Texas liberals, especially in the state capital of Austin. 

An irritated Chris Bell has tried to draw Democrats¹¹ back by arguing that the independent Friedman is really a conservative.  This is how he made the point during the recent debate.

"I am glad to have this opportunity tonight to stand here as the Democratic nominee¹² with my three Republican opponents," said Mr. Bell.

Kinky Friedman's missteps have turned some voters away, but many of his supporters remain loyal, partly because they do not really expect him to win.  They just want to send the message that they are tired of politics as usual and would like to see a change.

Friedman is running at around 14 percent favorability in public-opinion polls, but even if all those votes went to Bell, the polls indicate Rick Perry would still win by a small margin¹³.

1 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

2 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

3 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。

4 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

5 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

6 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

7 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

8 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

9 evacuees   

n.被疏散者( evacuee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Moreover, for multi-exits, evacuees select a exit based on game theory. 在有多个出口时，疏散人员根据对策论选择出口。 来自互联网
• Evacuees wade through flooded area following heavy monsoon rains in Peshawar on Saturday, July 31, 2010. 撤离灾区涉水通过后在白沙瓦沉重的季风降雨在周六，2010年7月31日。 来自互联网

10 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

11 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》

12 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。

13 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。