VOA标准英语10月-McCain, Obama Target States Key to Electoral Vote

With just two weeks to go until Election Day, U.S. presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain are campaigning in states that could decide the election on November 4. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has the latest from Washington.

In the final days of the campaign, both candidates are targeting key states that will play a major role in the state by state electoral vote that will determine who becomes the next president.
　

Sen. John McCain waves to supporters as he leaves a campaign rally in St. Charles, Missouri, 20 Oct. 2008

Republican John McCain was in Missouri on Monday, a state that has a history of backing the winning candidate in presidential elections.

The latest polls show McCain and Democrat¹ Barack Obama virtually tied in Missouri, and McCain sought to make headway by continuing to hammer away at Senator Obama's tax cut proposal.

"Senator Obama's economic goal is that he wants to spread the wealth around," he said. "He believes in redistributing wealth, not in policies that grow our economy and create jobs and opportunities for all Americans. Senator Obama is more interested in controlling who gets your piece of the pie than in growing the pie!"

Obama says he would provide a tax cut for 95 percent of working families, but would increase taxes for families that make more than $250,000 a year.

Senator McCain's vice² presidential running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, campaigned against Obama in Colorado.

"It is not mean-spirited and it is not negative campaigning when someone is called out on their record, on their plans and on their associations," she said.

Colorado is seen as another so-called "battleground" or "swing" state because the race is close there. Both campaigns have poured resources into Colorado in hopes of winning the state's nine electoral votes. A candidate is required to garner³ 270 electoral votes to win the presidency⁴, out of a total of 538 representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
　

Sen. Barack Obama poses for a picture with a supporter on the tarmac at the airport in Tampa, Florida, 20 Oct. 2008

Democrat Barack Obama focused on the southern state of Florida on Monday, a state that President Bush won in 2000 and in 2004.

Obama focused on the national economy, which opinion polls show is by far the number one issue in the campaign.

"It is getting harder and harder to make [i.e., pay] the mortgage or fill up your gas tank or even keep the electricity on at the end of the month," he said. "At this rate, the question isn't just 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?', it's 'Are you better off than you were four weeks ago?'"

Monday was the first day that citizens in Florida could take advantage of early voting, something many states now permit before Election Day.

Obama's former Democratic rival, Senator Hillary Clinton, campaigned for Obama in Florida Monday.

She urged Democrats⁵ not to take Obama's lead in national polls for granted.

"If people start believing, 'Well, this election is over, I don't need to go vote,' we might not actually be successful," she said. "So we've got to do everything we can to reach out to everyone you know in the next several days."

New national polls give Obama a lead over McCain of between five and 11 points.
　

Retired6 Army General Colin Powell (2008 file photo)

Political experts say Obama is likely to get a boost from the endorsement⁷ of former secretary of state and national security advisor⁸, retired Army General Colin Powell.

"He has both style and substance," Powell said Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press program. "He has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president."

Powell also said he was voting for Obama because of Senator McCain's decision to tap Governor Palin as his running mate. Powell said he did not think Palin was ready to be president in the event something happened to McCain.

　

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 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。

3 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

4 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。

5 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》

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 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。

8 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。