2007年VOA标准英语-US Presidential Primaries Likely to Begin Soone

By Jim Malone
Washington
09 August 2007

Republicans in the state of South Carolina have announced they will hold their 2008 presidential primary in mid-January. That decision has set off a chain reaction among other states that could result in the first votes in the 2008 presidential campaign taking place before the end of this year. VOA national correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington.

New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner (r) listens as South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson announces the date of his state's Republican presidential primary, 09 Aug 2007

South Carolina Republicans announced they will hold their presidential primary on January 19 of next year. South Carolina wants to maintain its traditional role as the first southern state to host a primary after Florida recently moved up its primary to January 29.

South Carolina's decision will have an impact on Iowa and New Hampshire, the states that traditionally host the first presidential caucuses² and primary respectively.

State laws in Iowa and New Hampshire require local officials to maintain their first in the nation status with regard to the presidential nominating process. Historically, Iowa has kicked off the presidential selection process in January with its caucuses, followed a week later by the New Hampshire primary.

As a result of South Carolina's move, New Hampshire is now expected to schedule its primary in early January. Iowa officials say if that happens, they could shift their caucus¹ voting to mid-December in order to maintain the traditional order of Iowa voting first, then New Hampshire.

Experts say Iowa and New Hampshire are determined³ to keep their early voting status, which are often seen as a test of the presidential contenders and their ability to connect with voters.

"They have been a chance for candidates to get on the ground and be hand to hand [personally meet voters] in politics before they move to many other states where the campaign tends to be more media-oriented and running [television] ads, rather than door to door politicians," said John Fortier, an expert on politics at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.

The schedule change would mark the earliest start ever for the selection process that chooses the two major party's presidential nominees⁴ through a series of caucus and primary contests, ending with the national nominating conventions in late August and early September of 2008.

Many other states have already moved up their primary dates for next year in order to have a bigger impact on the nominating process. About 20 states, including California, New York and Illinois, have scheduled primaries for February 5, which looms⁵ as a crucial test for all the candidates next year.

luncheon6 at the National Press Club in Washington, 7 Aug. 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070811/1502291.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gestures during his address before a luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, 07 Aug 2007

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says he will decide whether to join the Republican presidential field by October. Gingrich says most Americans traditionally do not begin to follow the presidential campaign until after New Year's Day.

"For the American people, for the average, normal, hard-working tax-paying American, this election begins after Christmas, no matter what the news media have to cover," said Gingrich

Officials in Iowa say they will select a date for their caucuses once New Hampshire sets a date for its primary. Those decisions may not come for several more weeks.

1 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

2 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

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

5 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。