VOA标准英语2012--Republicans Rally Around Romney as Likely Nominee

Republicans Rally Around Romney as Likely Nominee¹

Former President George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara are the latest big-name Republicans to rally behind Mitt² Romney.

“She [Mrs. Bush] was reminding me of the Kenny Rogers song, ‘There is a time when to hold them, a time when to fold them’. Well I think it is time for people to all get behind this good man,” he said.

Romney has what appears to be an insurmountable lead in the delegate count for the Republican nomination³ and is eager to get the primary race behind him.

“And I think it is important for us to select a nominee and to get on with a campaign that will focus on two very different visions for America,” said Romney.

But rivals Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum are pressing on in the hope that Romney falters⁴.

"I think the American people are tired of politicians who will tell you whatever you want to hear when they are in front of you and then go and do what is politically expedient," said Rick Santorum.

Among those Republicans anxious for the primary race to end is Representative Steve Chabot of Ohio.

“As a Republican myself I would like to see a lot of that firepower that is directed at each other directed at the president’s policies," said Chabot in a VOA interview. "Let’s have the American people focus on what he has done right or done wrong.”

The Republican candidates attacking each other could help President Obama in November, says Quinnipiac pollster Peter Brown.

“And that kind of negative tone rubs off and politics is the ultimate zero-sum game," he said. "What is bad for the Republicans is good for the president, and that also helps.”

President Obama’s focus remains⁵ on the domestic economy.

“Our economy is getting stronger," he said. "The recovery is accelerating. All of which means that the last thing we can afford to do is to go back to the same policies that got us into the mess in the first place.”

The latest polls show the president would defeat any of the Republican contenders if the election were held today largely because the economy seems to be on the rebound⁶, says Peter Brown.

“There is a general sense the economy is getting better and so the better perceived economic climate obviously rebounds⁷ to the president’s benefit,” he said.

But a Supreme⁸ Court decision on a challenge to the president’s health care law could also impact the election, says analyst⁹ Henry Olsen.

“Depending on what the Supreme Court rules, one side or the other could be particularly emboldened,” he said.

The high court decision is expected in June.

1 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。

2 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。

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 falters   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的第三人称单数 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He never falters in his determination. 他的决心从不动摇。
• The plan never falters; the design never changes. It is all ordered. 大自然从不步履蹒跚，从不三心二意，一切都是有条不紊。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

7 rebounds   

反弹球( rebound的名词复数 )； 回弹球； 抢断篮板球； 复兴

参考例句：

• V is the velocity after the gas particle rebounds from the wall. V是粒子从壁上弹开后的速度。
• In the former case, the first body rebounds with practically its original velocity. 在前一种情况下，第一个物体实际上以原来的速度弹回。

8 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。