2006年VOA标准英语-Tuesday's Election Seen as Referendum on Bush A

By Peter Fedynsky / Bill Rodgers
Washington, D.C.
07 November 2006
 
watch Election Day report

Voting is underway in the United States in a midterm election widely seen as a referendum on President Bush. The balloting² will determine if Mr. Bush's Republican Party maintains control of Congress.  But as VOA's Peter Fedynsky reports, a victory by the Democrats³ will not necessarily ensure cooperation between Congress and the White House.

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Polling stations in the eastern U.S. states were the first to open.  And among the first to vote were politicians themselves.  In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senator Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton. In Virginia, George Allen, running for re-election as the state's Republican senator, voted and then encouraged his supporters: "Alright!  On to victory, team!  Thank you all!"

An hour later, voters in the central states began casting ballots⁴.  They included President Bush, who voted in his hometown of Crawford Texas.

"We live in a free society, and our government is only as good as the willingness of our people to participate in it," said the president. "And, therefore, no matter what's your party affiliation⁵ or if you don't have a party affiliation, do your duty: cast your ballot¹ and let your voice be heard."

Analysts⁶ say many voters around the nation are doing just that; voting to protest the war in Iraq, the Bush administration and the Republican Congress. 

Thelma Smith in Alexandria, Virginia says she voted for change. "The Republicans certainly don't have a plan.  Its been going south [badly] for a very long time.  So I think any new plan might have a better chance than what's been going down [happening]."

If enough voters throughout the nation express the same sentiment, Republicans could lose control of one or both houses of Congress.  But election eve polls indicate that the Republican Party had narrowed the lead, which Democrats enjoyed during most of the campaign.  Many say Republicans can better wage the war on terror. 

Virginia voter Dennis Bakus says this was the main issue for him. "I think America is under a bigger threat than most people realize.  I think this is a threat that is not going to go away for a long time and we have to be aware of that."

Political analysts say that in tight races, such as the key senatorial contests in Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, and Montana, the winners are likely to be those who best motivated their supporters to actually vote.  Regardless of who wins control of Congress, President Bush will remain in office for two more years.

George Washington University politics professor Dennis Johnson says politics in Washington are not likely to change.

"If the Democrats take over and the Democrats want to have major legislation: they want to investigate the president, they want to do other things, they have to remember that the president has a veto pen.  And every time the president takes out his veto pen, Congress has to come back and enact⁷ that legislation by a 2/3rds vote, and frankly⁸ the Democrats don't have the numbers to do that," said Johnson.

Today's election trends should become clear as the polls close in the eastern and midwestern states.  In many areas, voters will know the final results before they go to bed this evening.

1 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

2 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句

3 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》

4 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 affiliation   

n.联系，联合

参考例句：

• There is no affiliation between our organization and theirs,even though our names are similar.尽管两个组织的名称相似，但我们之间并没有关系。
• The kidnappers had no affiliation with any militant group.这些绑架者与任何军事组织都没有紧密联系。

6 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。

7 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

8 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。