VOA慢速英语2015 杰布·布什参加2016年美国总统竞选

AS IT IS 2015-06-16 Jeb Bush Enters US Presidential Campaign 杰布·布什参加2016年美国总统竞选

The son of a former US president and the brother of another launched his campaign for the presidency¹ Monday. Jeb Bush announced his candidacy to a cheering crowd in Miami, Florida. Mr. Bush is seeking to win the Republican Party’s presidential nomination².

Saying “Our prosperity and security are in the balance,” Mr. Bush raised issues of interest to many conservatives. He called for tax cuts, a strong military and less government intervention³. Mr. Bush said, “There’s no substitute for experience,” and added, “I know we can fix this, because I’ve done it.”

His political organization released a video before the announcement. In it, Mr. Bush said, “My core beliefs start with the premise⁴ that the most vulnerable in our society should be in the front of the line and not the back.” The video showed images of a disabled child, women and minorities, while noting his record as Governor of Florida.

Jeb Bush served two terms as governor. He was in office from 1999 until 2007. During his term, Mr. Bush proposed the first school voucher⁵ program in the country. Under the program, students from failing schools could use public money to pay for private schools.

As governor, Mr. Bush also was a supporter of a state law that kept Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged woman, alive with a feeding tube. The courts eventually overturned both measures.

For the 2016 campaign, Mr. Bush is a supporter for immigration reform and a new education policy, called the Common Core. Both are closely linked to the Democratic Party and rejected by other Republicans seeking the party’s presidential nomination.

Focus on fundraising

Jeb Bush is 62 years old. He was the first well-known Republican to signal his plans to seek the presidency. Last December, he announced on social media, “I have decided⁶ to actively⁷ explore the possibility of running for President of the United States.”

However, the former governor delayed his official candidacy so that he could raise money for organizations supporting his campaign. A political action group called the Right to Rise Super PAC is looking to raise $100 million to support his campaign. The Politico website reports that Mr. Bush has attended 70 money-raising events over the past six months. Supporters connected to the Bush family attended many of these fundraisers.

“I am my own man”

Before Monday, Jeb Bush has recognized the influence of both his father, George H.W. Bush, and his older brother, George W. Bush. But he has also attempted to distance himself from his brother’s unpopular policies.

“I love my brother. I love my dad. I actually love my mother as well and hope that’s O.K. And I admire their service to the nation and the difficult decisions that they had to make. But I am my own man and my views are shaped by my own thinking and my own experiences,” he told the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in February.

Tom DeFrank of National Journal has been watching U.S. politics for a long time. On VOA’s “Issues in the News” program, he had this to say about a Jeb Bush candidacy.

“He has a tightrope⁸ to walk. He has to figure out a way to distance himself from his brother who left office as a very unpopular president.”

The shadow of Iraq

In Nevada last month, Jeb Bush said President Barack Obama’s withdrawal⁹ of U.S. troops in Iraq led to the current Islamic State crisis. His statement led to criticism from Ivy¹⁰ Ziedrich, a college student. The exchange, “Your brother created ISIS,” seen on ABC News, made news around the world.

The former Florida governor stumbled when asked if he would have handled the war in Iraq differently from his brother. Jeb Bush eventually said that knowing what he knows now, he would not have ordered the invasion of Iraq.

Establishing his own political identity will be important for Jeb Bush, says University of Virginia political expert Larry Sabato. 

“He wants to have it both ways as politicians always do. He wants to get the nomination because of the Bush name and at the same time he wants to declare that he is his own man," he said. "Well, you can’t have it both ways and inevitably¹¹ he will be held accountable to some degree for George W. Bush’s very controversial presidency.”

Standing¹² out in a crowded field

The former governor of Florida joined a crowded field of 10 announced candidates for the Republican nomination, with several more to come.

Ford¹³ O’Connell has worked as an advisor¹⁴ to the party. He says, “Obviously, his last name is his greatest benefit in terms of raising money but it is also his greatest obstacle. What Jeb Bush needs to become is ‘Jeb’, not the third Bush.”

The Bush campaign made public an election logo on Sunday. The sign only has his first name "Jeb!" with no mention of his famous family. 

Words in This Story

prosperity – n. being successful, usually by earning a lot of money

core – adj. central; n. – the main part or center of something

premise – n. an idea or statement that is used as the basis of an argument

vulnerable – adj. easily hurt or damaged

signal – v. to be sign of something; to show the existence of

stumble(d) – v. to speak or act in an awkward way

1 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。

2 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。

3 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

4 premise   

n.前提；v.提论，预述

参考例句：

• Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。
• We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。

5 voucher   

n.收据；传票；凭单，凭证

参考例句：

• The government should run a voucher system.政府应该施行凭证制度。
• Whenever cash is paid out,a voucher or receipt should be obtained.无论何时只要支付现金，就必须要有一张凭据或者收据。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

8 tightrope   

n.绷紧的绳索或钢丝

参考例句：

• The audience held their breath as the acrobat walked along the tightrope.杂技演员走钢丝时，观众都屏住了呼吸。
• The tightrope walker kept her balance by holding up an umbrella.走钢丝的演员举着一把伞，保持身体的均衡。

9 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

10 ivy   

n.常青藤，常春藤

参考例句：

• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
• The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

11 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

12 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。

13 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

14 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。