VOA标准英语2008年-Some Democrats Want Obama-Clinton ‘Dream Ticket

By Jim Malone
Washington
20 May 2008
 

Recent public opinion polls show a growing number of Democrats¹ want presidential candidate Barack Obama to choose rival Hillary Clinton as his vice² presidential running mate, if he wins the Democratic Party's presidential nomination³.   But as VOA National correspondent Jim Malone reports, a lot of political experts think an Obama-Clinton ticket is unlikely.

To some Democrats, Obama and Clinton together would the be the dream ticket.  Others see them as the political equivalent of the odd couple.

For example, there was that New Hampshire debate where Clinton was asked why Obama was more likeable. She responded, "Well, that hurts my feelings, but I will try to go on.  He is very likeable.  I agree with that.  I do not think I am that bad." 

Obama responded to Clinton’s message by saying, "You are likeable enough, Hillary.  No doubt about that."

It has been a long and bitter campaign, and the idea of two rivals joining forces might seem far-fetched.  But some experts say a joint⁴ ticket could unify⁵ the party in time for the general election campaign against the presumptive Republican nominee⁶, Senator John McCain.

John Fortier of the American Enterprise Institute, says, "And if he really believes that he needs a national figure with some experience who can appeal to white working class voters, then he may overcome the bitterness that they have, the worries that he has about Senator Clinton in other ways."

Obama has drawn⁷ support from younger voters and African-Americans.  He could benefit from Clinton's appeal to women, seniors and white working class voters.

But there are also plenty of reasons why a joint ticket might not work. Relations between the candidates are tense after a long and bitter campaign. In addition, Hillary Clinton tends to be a polarzing figure. 

Stephen Hess of the Brookings Institution says, "The problem with Mrs. Clinton is that there are a lot of people who do not like her very much, and those are people who probably would not vote against Obama because she is on the ticket, but possibly they would not work as hard.  They would not show the same enthusiasm for the ticket, or they might even stay home."

Also, Obama picking Clinton as his running mate could undermine his main theme of change.

John Fortier adds, "He is first and foremost going to want to say: I am a change candidate, I am a new person.  I won this race.  I have got my own person, I do not have to pick Hillary Clinton."

Political rivals have joined forces in the past to win elections.

Democratic senators John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson ran as a ticket in 1960.  Twenty years later, Republicans Ronald Reagan and George Bush did the same.

Kennedy's decision to pick Johnson was crucial, Hess said. "The Lyndon Johnson-John Kennedy team was probably the only case in American history where choosing a vice presidential nominee very likely won the election for the candidate,"  he explained.

Assuming he wins the nomination, Obama is expected to choose a running mate sometime before the Democratic National Convention in late August. 

1 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》

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 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 unify   

vt.使联合，统一；使相同，使一致

参考例句：

• How can we unify such scattered islands into a nation?我们怎么才能把如此分散的岛屿统一成一个国家呢？
• It is difficult to imagine how the North and South could ever agree on a formula to unify the divided peninsula.很难想象南北双方在统一半岛的方案上究竟怎样才能达成一致。

6 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。

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。