VOA标准英语2012--US Republican Candidate Debates Define Positions

US Republican Candidate Debates Define Positions

These presidential contenders share a common love for America, but not for each other.
"In the 15 years after he left the speakership [of the House of Representatives], the Speaker [Newt Gingrich] has been working as an influence peddler in Washington," said Mitt¹ Romney in one debate.
"He just said at least four things that were false. I don't want to waste time on them," Newt Gingrich said.
As they vie for their party's nomination², the contenders put on their verbal boxing gloves and entered the ring of the candidate debates!
In the 2012 presidential contest, the incumbent³, Barack Obama, is unopposed within his own Democratic Party. But the field is wide open in the other main U.S. party, the Republicans. And the competition is fierce. The nationally televised debates provide a place where the candidates can speak directly to the electorate⁵ in search of support.
The present era of presidential debates began in 1976, when incumbent President Gerald Ford⁶ sparred with Democratic challenger Jimmy Carter. Debates have been part of presidential elections ever since. But unlike traditional debates, they are not structured as point-and-rebuttal arguments. The format⁷ is more question-and-response, with other candidates' jabs and jousts⁸ thrown in, as Georgetown University professor Mark Rom notes.
"They have been 'free-for-alls' where all the Republican candidates for president have been able to make their best claims, their biggest charges, their strongest attacks on their opponents as a way of lifting themselves up in the polls," he said.
An on-camera mistake costs debaters dearly. A recent example of this happened to candidate Governor Rick Perry who could not name three federal entities⁹ he vowed¹⁰ to eliminate.
There is one series of debates held before each party officially nominates its candidate.
Then, just before the November election, there are three debates between the nominees¹¹, and one between their vice¹² presidential running mates. In 2008, it was Democrat⁴ Barack Obama against Republican John McCain.
Unlike the pre-nomination debates, these are not held by TV networks, newspapers, or political parties, but are run by the independent, nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates.
Their structure is more formal, and the stakes are much higher, as Politico newspaper reporter David Levinthal explains.
"When you have the Democratic candidate and the Republican candidate, who are going head-to-head with each other, that's the championship game right there," he said. "Your performance in those debates is going to be absolutely critical to the outcome of the election in many cases."
One notable example of that were the 1960 debates between Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard Nixon. Historians credit Kennedy's TV debate performance as a big factor in his victory.

1 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

2 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。

3 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

4 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。

5 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

6 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

7 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。

8 jousts   

（骑士）骑着马用长矛打斗( joust的名词复数 )； 格斗，竞争

参考例句：

• The oil company jousts with Esso for lead position in UK sales. 这家石油公司和埃索公司角逐英国市场销量的榜首位置。 来自柯林斯例句
• There were notable jousts with the Secretary of Commerce. 和商业部长之间明显存在竞争。 来自柯林斯例句

9 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

10 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

11 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

12 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。