VOA标准英语2012--Abortion Top Concern for Michigan Social Conservative Voters

Abortion¹ Top Concern for Michigan Social Conservative Voters

It might look like a campaign bus for Rick Santorum. And listening to conversations on board as it moves through Michigan, it might seem like Rick Santorum’s campaign bus.
But this bus is not connected to Rick Santorum's campaign for President. Marilyn Musgrave says it is more like a moving billboard². “We are doing an independent expenditure³ for Rick Santorum. By law we can not have any coordination⁴ with the campaign," she said.
The bus is paid for with money from several political action committees, including the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, where Musgrave is Vice⁶ President of Government Affairs. The Michigan bus tour is designed to drum up support for Rick Santorum, who they think best represents their conservative views about family, faith, and abortion.
“This is a big shot in the arm for Rick Santorum supporters in Michigan," she said.
Supporters like Portage, Michigan church worker Jamin Herold, who says his biggest reason for backing Santorum is his stand against abortion. Herold says that is an issue directly tied to the economy.
“Without having life, without having more people born, people are not out there buying cars, there are not those people to buy cars. There are not those people to do the manufacturing, to have things to be manufactured for them, and people are starting to realize that," he said.
The issue of whether or not abortion should be legal, is a constant campaign theme.
It is an issue that plagues Mitt⁵ Romney, who is accused of “flip-flopping” for once having supported a woman’s right to choose an abortion and now opposing it.
“You ran as a pro-choice candidate in the Senate in Massachusetts," one woman asked Mitt Romney at a campaign stop. "You have changed your position, and have become a pro-life candidate. How can we consider you trustworthy?"
“I was consistent as governor, as a pro-life Governor," he responded.
University of Michigan Political Science Professor Michael Heaney says pro-life social conservative voters could make or break Romney’s campaign. “They play a large part of the electorate⁷ here, and any candidate that does not have strong backing among social conservatives is going to run into trouble," he said.
And each vote counts, Romney and Santorum are virtually tied in opinion polling just days before the February 28 election.

1 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

2 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

3 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

4 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

5 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。

6 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。

7 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。