VOA慢速英语-IN THE NEWS - Obama Has to Make Sure Clinton Voters

With the Democratic nomination¹ secure, Barack Obama now faces work to unite the party. Will it mean he chooses Hillary Clinton for vice² president? Transcript³ of radio broadcast:
07 June 2008

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

In the United States, the sixteen-month battle between the Democratic presidential candidates has come to a close.
　

Senator Barack Obama with his wife Michelle in St Paul, Minnesota where he claimed the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night

Senator Barack Obama of Illinois made history Tuesday when he claimed enough delegates for the party’s nomination. The son of a Kenyan father and white American mother will be the nation's first black presidential nominee⁴ of a major party.

The nomination will not be made official until the delegates vote at the Democratic National Convention in August. The Republican convention is in September. Senator John McCain of Arizona is the expected Republican nominee.

Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York met privately⁵ in Washington Thursday night. Later, her campaign said she would end her candidacy on Saturday and urge her supporters to unite behind Senator Obama. She would have been the first woman nominated for president by a major party.

The two candidates competed in fifty-four primaries and caucuses⁶ across the United States and territories. In the last two primaries on Tuesday, he won Montana and she won South Dakota.
　

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton speaking at a campaign event in New York Tuesday night

Some of her supporters are pushing for Senator Obama to choose her for vice president. A Clinton spokesman said the former first lady is not seeking the vice presidency⁷ and that the choice is Senator Obama's alone.

Barack Obama has said that competing against Hillary Clinton made him a better candidate. But he says he will not talk about the process of choosing a vice president until he has chosen one.

Senator Obama entered national politics less than four years ago.

Until now, major-party nominees⁸ for the White House have always been white. Blacks were kept as slaves in the South until the eighteen sixties. And racial discrimination remained legal in many American states until the nineteen sixties.

Nominees have always also been male, except for Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro in nineteen eighty-four. American women could not even vote until nineteen twenty.

Hillary Clinton began her race as the strong favorite among the Democratic candidates. Unless she becomes vice president, she will likely continue her work in the Senate. She could seek the presidency again in four years if Barack Obama loses the November election.
　

Senator John McCain speaking Tuesday in Kenner, Louisiana

Senator Obama is forty-six years old. Senator McCain is seventy-one. Early in the primary season, which began in January, the Arizona senator was almost out of campaign money and supporters. But he fought back.

He says Barack Obama is too liberal and too inexperienced to lead the country. Senator Obama says John McCain is too conservative and too much like President George Bush.

When campaigning began last year, the top issue was the Iraq war. Now the candidates also have to deal with a weakened economy and record-high oil prices.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I’m Steve Ember.

1 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。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 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。

4 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。

5 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

6 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

7 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

8 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网