美国国家公共电台 NPR--How many more voting rounds will it take the House to elect a speaker?

How many more voting rounds will it take the House to elect a speaker?

Transcript¹

NPR's A Martinez speaks with GOP pollster Frank Luntz, a longtime friend of Kevin McCarthy, about the House speaker stalemate. McCarthy is still short of the votes he needs to be speaker.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

All right. Let's dig into what's behind the gridlock on electing a speaker of the House. We've invited Frank Luntz in to describe. He's a GOP pollster, communications strategist and a longtime friend of Kevin McCarthy's. All right, Frank, each vote almost the same outcome. And Kevin McCarthy remains² determined³. It's starting to feel like the Kevin Costner film "Tin Cup," where Kevin Costner keeps trying to hit the ball onto the green but keeps hitting into the water instead. So what are the chances that Kevin McCarthy hits the green and becomes speaker of the House?

FRANK LUNTZ: I think it's pretty good. And I think it's pretty good because of the attributes that Kevin has shown in the time - I've known him for almost three decades. And everyone who knows him, everyone, remarks that he's one of the nicest people they've ever met, that he's kind, that he listens and learns, that he knows how to lead. But really what matters most right now in Washington is patience and persistence⁴. And I realize that everyone's asking the question, when is this going to end? For most people, this seems like a drama. But the truth is that this is important for democracy. It's important for how our government functions. And it's one of the reasons why so many people have lost faith and confidence in government.

MART?NEZ: Important. Though - but is it damaging, Frank, to the Republican Party to have this play out the way it has?

LUNTZ: I respect those who are trying to change the system. They've been frustrated⁵. They feel like their voice isn't heard even though they're elected to Congress. I think that there is a better way to do this. But I understand it as a pollster and a communication analyst⁶. I get that frustration⁷. The key now is to find a consensus⁸ within the Republican Party. And the Republican Party is broad. It's not narrow-minded. It's not a single point of view. There are many different points of view. And that makes it a little harder to govern. But in the end, that's what democracy is all about.

MART?NEZ: But will - OK, so in the end, you said that democracy, that's what it's all about. But is there a path forward, then, for Kevin McCarthy right now considering that I don't think anyone expected it to last as long as it has?

LUNTZ: Well, and that's - whoever didn't expect it really didn't understand the points of view and the personalities⁹ involved, either Kevin's or those who have held him up up to this point. I'm familiar with the discussions. I'm familiar with the - what probably seems like arcane¹⁰ debate about rules to most people. But in the end, you've got individuals that are desperate to end wasteful¹¹ Washington spending. You've got people who are desperate to have some sort of control at the border, who are desperate to ensure that voices are heard and we end woke and all these different policies. And they're frustrated that over the last two years, these things haven't happened. And they're upset with Kevin McCarthy when they should be upset with the Democratic leadership and Joe Biden. I get that. And I believe, over the last 24 hours, they realize it, too, that they've been using Kevin as their - as the attention when, really, they should be blaming somebody else.

MART?NEZ: But how much more does Kevin McCarthy have to compromise? I mean, he seemingly has compromised maybe more than he wanted to or expected to. I mean, how much more room is there to compromise?

LUNTZ: Well, you have to work together. In the end, it's a very narrow majority, more narrow than they would have wished, more narrow than they were expecting. But they don't have a choice. Either they work together side by side to get the job done - I think it was Ben Franklin who says, either we all hang together, or we will most certainly all hang separately. And what happens over the next 48 hours does determine - you are correct, it does determine the future of the Republican Party in the House. But I'd like to focus on something even bigger, which is it determines the function and capability¹² of Congress moving forward. And that is the real issue we should be focused on.

MART?NEZ: Well, moving forward, then, if it's not Kevin McCarthy, who would it be?

LUNTZ: There's no one else who has the support of so many members of Congress, not even close. Kevin has the ability to reach...

MART?NEZ: But he doesn't have enough. That's the problem. He has a lot of support, but not quite enough.

LUNTZ: Well, but that's what you have when you have four-seat majority. I mean, these are the facts. And people speak breathlessly about that. But you have to find a way to work together. And there is no one in the House Republican Conference who has more relationships...

MART?NEZ: Yeah.

LUNTZ: ...With more organizations, with more issue groups than Kevin McCarthy. And that's because...

MART?NEZ: That's GOP pollster Frank Luntz. Frank, thank you. Sorry, we have to leave it right there. Frank Luntz, thanks a lot.

LUNTZ: Thank you, appreciate it.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 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。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

5 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

8 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

9 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

10 arcane   

adj.神秘的，秘密的

参考例句：

• The technique at one time was arcane in the minds of most chemists.这种技术在大多数化学家心目中一度是神秘的。
• Until a few months ago few people outside the arcane world of contemporary music had heard of Gorecki.直至几个月前，在现代音乐神秘殿堂之外很少有人听说了戈莱斯基。

11 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

12 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。