美国国家公共电台 NPR Moderate Democrats Under Pressure As Party's Left Grabs Attention

Moderate Democrats² Under Pressure As Party's Left Grabs Attention

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The most famous of all the newly elected Democrats in the House of Representatives is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described democratic socialist³. But she is only one of the 235 lawmakers who make up the Democratic majority. And that is equally true of Abigail Spanberger, newly elected from central Virginia. To keep control of the House, Democrats must hold more conservative districts like hers.

NPR's Kelsey Snell attended a town hall meeting in the town of Crewe, Va.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Have you ever voted against Nancy Pelosi? And if so, on what?

KELSEY SNELL, BYLINE⁴: That's a question Spanberger is ready for. The former CIA officer and first-time politician knew that once she defeated Republican Dave Brat⁵ to represent this district, she'd have to defend her promise to work across the aisle⁶ pretty often.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER: Yes. So I voted against Nancy Pelosi a couple times. I did not vote for her to be speaker of the House.

SNELL: She also voted with Republicans on an amendment⁷ to a gun bill and was one of just a handful of Democrats invited to the White House in January to discuss border security with President Trump⁸. But that record isn't enough to stave off questions about her role in a party that some voters see as moving steadily⁹ to the left.

Over the course of an hour, Spanberger fielded questions on Obamacare, President Trump's border wall and her stance on abortion¹⁰ rights. Voters like Peter Hasso aren't convinced that she can be so independent in a party that's also home to far-left progressives like Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

PETER HASSO: She's riding both sides of the fence. And she's trying not to be identified, but I don't blame her. I wouldn't want to be identified with AOC and all these other people.

SNELL: Spanberger says her record should speak for itself. But her liberal colleagues are often the ones in the national spotlight¹¹, passionately¹² defending controversial policies like "Medicare for All" and the sweeping¹³ climate bill known as the Green New Deal. Their priorities and not hers have been setting the tone for what a lot of voters picture when they hear the label Democrat¹.

SPANBERGER: I know what it's like in my district. And I would find it more helpful if other Democrats, when they talk about their districts, would talk about their districts and the priorities of their districts so that I don't have to go back to my constituents¹⁴ and say, yes, I know that's not you all.

SNELL: Some liberal members like Ocasio-Cortez have gone further, threatening to target moderates like Spanberger if they don't move further to the left. Spanberger doesn't have any patience for that.

SPANBERGER: So I can have colleagues threaten me as much as they like, but I'm going to continue serving my district in the way that I think is important. And I'm going to continue serving in Congress in a way that I think is important. And that does not mean falling in line on every single vote.

SNELL: Hasso and other voters here aren't moved by that argument at all. But others like Billy Coleburn, the mayor of the nearby town of Blackstone, say they've been really impressed by Spanberger's willingness to stand up to Pelosi and to come out and talk to voters at town halls like this. And Coleburn wants to be clear. He's not exactly a Democrat.

BILLY COLEBURN: I am one who voted for Donald Trump. And I was an obnoxious¹⁵ Trump supporter in 2015 the minute he got off the escalator, not because I loved him or because he was so good looking or eloquent¹⁶ but because I wanted to put the middle finger at the establishment.

SNELL: But now he could see himself voting a split ticket - Trump-Spanberger in 2020.

COLEBURN: As still someone who believes in Trump's policies, I have a lot of respect for Abigail Spanberger. We talked. We joked about that.

SNELL: That said, voters here say they're waiting to see what policies Democrats support between now and then. Kelsey Snell, NPR News, Crewe, Va.

1 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。

2 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》

3 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

4 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。

5 brat   

n.孩子；顽童

参考例句：

• He's a spoilt brat.他是一个被宠坏了的调皮孩子。
• The brat sicked his dog on the passer-by.那个顽童纵狗去咬过路人。

6 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。

7 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

8 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。

9 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

10 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。

11 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

12 passionately   

ad.热烈地，激烈地

参考例句：

• She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿，也能爱得一往情深。
• He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。

13 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

14 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 obnoxious   

adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的

参考例句：

• These fires produce really obnoxious fumes and smoke.这些火炉冒出来的烟气确实很难闻。
• He is the most obnoxious man I know.他是我认识的最可憎的人。

16 eloquent   

adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的

参考例句：

• He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩，胜过最好的演说家。
• These ruins are an eloquent reminder of the horrors of war.这些废墟形象地提醒人们不要忘记战争的恐怖。