密歇根新闻广播 密歇根的第一个国会选区

Michigan's 1st Congressional District is huge - almost 25,000 square miles - and it is where, with the pending¹ retirement² of Republican Congressman³ Dan Benishek, former Marine⁴ Corps⁵ General Jack⁶ Bergman – a Republican – is facing former Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lon Johnson.

Bergman upset two establishment Republicans in the August primary and still hasn't mended fences with the local GOP. We'll see if he can build the campaign organization and get-out-the-vote operation necessary to win. Republicans in the District say he hasn't yet.

But, campaign organization is something Johnson knows - fundraising, door-knocking and get-out-the-vote-efforts are things he worked on as former Party Chair.

It's Just Politics with Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta. The 1st District is considered one of the most competitive districts in the country - even though the Cook Political Report ranks it R +4.

That means, all other things being equal, Republicans start with a four-point advantage.

In other parts of the state, Republicans are fretting⁸ over whether Donald Trump⁹ will drag down the GOP ballot¹⁰. But, in northern Michigan, Trump appears to be polling pretty well.

Hillary Clinton, however, is quite unpopular. As is President Obama. Congressional Democrats¹¹ were hoping that, with the right candidate, they might just have a chance to pick up this seat once Obama was no longer at the top of the ballot.

But the Clinton name does not seem to add an advantage in the 1st. But that's likely a small comfort to Trump, because elections in Michigan are won and lost with the big population in southeast Michigan.

But that does mean Hillary Clinton has to do that much better in metro¹² Detroit to win Michigan.

That is good news for northern Michigan Republicans and bad news for northern Michigan Democrats looking to draft off the top of the ticket on Election Day.

But it's not impossible for Ds to win. Democrat⁷ Bart Stupak held the 1st Congressional District seat for 18 years. Stupak is a former cop, pro-life and pro-gun rights.

Lon Johnson fits part of that profile. He is a hunter and a gun-owner. But he is pro-choice. And he is closely associated with President Obama. He is married to Obama's former fundraiser, Julianna Smoot. Johnson even once granted a presidential request to play the Easter Bunny at the White House egg roll.

There are plenty of political issues that could be argued, but it seems a lot of this campaign is focused on which candidate has the best claim to be a true northern Michigander.

Johnson was raised in downriver Detroit and has an apartment in the city. Bergman has a place in the western U.P., but also has ties dating back ten years to New Orleans. Has a home in Louisiana. And he seems to like to winter there.

Northern Michigan and the 1st Congressional District is a vast area but voters here want that local connection.

But, like everywhere else, candidates don't entirely¹³ control their destinies. The top of the ticket can be decisive. Voters' views of Trump and Clinton play a huge part in their fates.

1 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

2 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

3 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

4 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

5 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 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。

8 fretting   

n. 微振磨损 adj. 烦躁的, 焦虑的

参考例句：

• Fretting about it won't help. 苦恼于事无补。
• The old lady is always fretting over something unimportant. 那位老妇人总是为一些小事焦虑不安。

9 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。

10 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

11 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》

12 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

13 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。