VOA标准英语10月-Obama, McCain Target Pivotal States in Election R

Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain Friday focused on states that could play a pivotal role in the November 4 election. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on the U.S. presidential race from Washington.
　

Sen. Barack Obama speaks at a rally in Roanoke, Virginia, 17 Oct. 2008

MARGIN³-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">With a little more than two weeks to go until Election Day, Democrat¹ Barack Obama is keeping up the pressure on his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain.

Obama campaigned Friday in the southern state of Virginia, which last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 1964.

Obama continued his relentless² campaign to tie Senator McCain to the economic policies of the Bush administration.

"So I know I am not running against President Bush," he said. "But I am running against President Bush's policies, the policies John McCain has supported, the policies John McCain would continue and that is something that we cannot afford another four years of, more George Bush economics!"

The latest polls give Obama a lead in Virginia. Obama is also competitive in several other states that have supported Republican presidential candidates in recent elections including Missouri, North Carolina and Colorado.

Recent national polls also give Obama a lead over McCain by margins⁴ ranging from five to 14 points.

But Obama is quick to caution his supporters not to get too confident in the final two weeks of the campaign.

"You can't pay attention to the polls," he said. "We have got to keep making our case for change."

Also Friday Obama won the endorsement⁵ of the Washington Post newspaper, which called him the right man for a perilous⁶ time.
　

Sen. John McCain gives a thumbs up to the crowd as he leaves a rally at Florida International University in Miami, 17 Oct. 2008

Meanwhile, Republican John McCain campaigned in Florida on Friday, another key battleground or swing state where both campaigns are very competitive.

McCain slammed Obama's tax plan and promised that he too would take the country in a different direction from the Bush administration.

McCain acknowledged to the crowd that he is trailing in the polls, but he also urged his supporters to pull off an election surprise on November 4.

"We have 18 days to go. We are six points down," he said. "The national media has written us off. Senator Obama is measuring the drapes. But you know what? They forgot to let you decide. My friends, as it has been in other races, we've got them just where we want them!"

In the final days of the campaign, both McCain and Obama are trying to improve their prospects⁷ in several important swing states where the margin is close.

Some of them are large states like Ohio, Florida and North Carolina that are major prizes in the state by state electoral voting that decides who will win the presidency⁸.

Obama has broadened the number of election battelground states to several that normally vote Republican, including Virginia.

University of Virginia political expert Larry Sabato told MSNBC television that Obama is displaying unexpected strength in a state where McCain was the favorite.

"It causes the McCain people and the Republicans to spend money and to spend time in a state that they actually listed as solid Republican in the spring," he said. "They said they had nothing to worry about and planned to put out no effort in Virginia. Well, guess what, it turned into a toss-up state."

Most experts believe that Obama's surge in national and some state polls is a direct result of voter unhappiness over the state of the U.S. economy and an overwhelming desire for change after eight years of the Bush presidency.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

3 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。

4 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

5 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

6 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

7 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

8 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。