美国国家公共电台 NPR--How former presidents have tried to use the State of the Union address in their favor

How former presidents have tried to use the State of the Union address in their favor

Transcript¹

Past presidents have used their post-midterm State of the Union address to try to propel their agenda through a divided Congress — and use it as a springboard for an eventual² reelection message.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

President Biden delivers the annual State of the Union speech tomorrow night to a divided Congress as Republicans narrowly control the House. That new reality will shape his speech, the months that follow and also his widely expected bid for a second term. Here's NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid.

ASMA KHALID, BYLINE³: This speech is usually a president's largest TV audience of the year. It's his chance to talk directly to both the politicians in the room and the public at home. And for Biden this year, there is a heavy subtext. He's expected to announce his bid for a second term in the near future.

CAROLYN CURIEL: This is a preview of his reelection argument. It's going to form the meat of it.

KHALID: That's Carolyn Curiel. She worked as a speechwriter for Bill Clinton.

CURIEL: And this is the same thing that Clinton had to do. You have to do your greatest hits. And it also plants a seed of imagine what else we could do if we had control again?

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BILL CLINTON: That's my agenda for America's future - expanding opportunity, not bureaucracy, enhancing security at home and abroad.

KHALID: But former Clinton speechwriters say a speech ahead of a possible reelection is not just about substance; it's about style.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CLINTON: And let the final test of everything we do be a simple one - is it good for the American people?

(APPLAUSE)

KHALID: It was 1995, and Clinton was facing a Republican Congress after the GOP took control of the House for the first time in 40 years. It was known as the Republican revolution. Michael Waldman was in the Clinton White House at this time.

MICHAEL WALDMAN: Clinton used the State of the Union addresses when he was in political peril⁵, when he had lost control of the House and Senate, and it really was a rebuke⁶ of him, and when people thought he was politically a goner. But he drew the contrasts with the Republicans. He reminded people of what they liked about his policies and about him.

KHALID: Waldman says a president can use the State of the Union to answer lingering questions. So, for example, after that big midterm shellacking, he says people wanted to see that Clinton was still standing⁷, still had a good sense of humor. For Biden, the lingering question is age. He would be 86 at the end of his second term. That's a point that speechwriters who worked for three different presidents, both Republican and Democrat⁸, brought up, including Clinton speechwriter Michael Waldman.

WALDMAN: He will want to use this as a forum⁹ to show that he's vigorous, that he's commanding.

KHALID: The other main thing this speech needs to do is articulate a vision. Peter Wehner wrote speeches in the George H.W. Bush White House.

PETER WEHNER: State of the Unions is a chance for a president to lay out his agenda going forward and to do it in a positive way.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GEORGE H W BUSH: Our job is to make life better for our fellow Americans and to help them build a future of hope and opportunity. And this is the business before us tonight.

KHALID: But highlighting your own agenda often means painting the other side in a less flattering light.

WEHNER: It's tricky¹⁰ to do precisely¹¹ because you're speaking to an audience that includes the opposition¹² party as well as your own. And you don't want to, as a president, come across as petty or divisive.

KHALID: But some Democrats¹³ say Biden needs to spell out a Democratic agenda that draws battle lines with Republicans. And one big fight already brewing¹⁴ is around raising the debt ceiling. Biden insists this is an obligation, not a negotiation¹⁵. And Cody Keenan, who wrote speeches for former President Barack Obama, says there is value in doing this for a big audience.

CODY KEENAN: I think another thing he's going to have to do is lay down a marker on the debt ceiling. That'll probably be the biggest battle of the year.

KHALID: The president is expected to tout¹⁶ his legislative¹⁷ accomplishments¹⁸ and economic progress. He's also expected to update Americans on the yearlong war in Ukraine. And he'll do something that presidents of both parties always do - convey optimism and unity⁴.

(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)

BUSH: Our citizens don't much care which side of the aisle¹⁹ we sit on, as long as we're willing to cross that aisle.

DONALD TRUMP²⁰: Not as two parties but as one nation.

BARACK OBAMA: Not by whether we can sit together tonight but whether we can work together tomorrow.

KHALID: Biden is not the first president to appeal to a bitterly divided Congress to deliver a State of the Union after losing control of a congressional chamber²¹ in the midterms. And he likely will not be the last. The question is whether Biden, like some of his predecessors²², can turn this speech into a political opportunity.

Asma Khalid, NPR News.

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 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

6 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 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。

9 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

10 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

11 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

12 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

13 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》

14 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

15 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

16 tout   

v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱

参考例句：

• They say it will let them tout progress in the war.他们称这将有助于鼓吹他们在战争中的成果。
• If your case studies just tout results,don't bother requiring registration to view them.如果你的案例研究只是吹捧结果，就别烦扰别人来注册访问了。

17 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

18 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

20 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

21 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

22 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》