VOA常速英语2008年-US Candidates Consider California Biggest Prize

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
05 February 2008

California is the biggest prize in the primary elections and caucuses¹ Tuesday, known as Super Tuesday, when voters in more than 20 states will choose their nominees³ for the presidential election. California offers the largest number of delegates for the nominating conventions of both parties. Mike O'Sullivan reports, the candidates are targeting voters in the West in a last-minute effort.

The Democratic candidates and some of their prominent supporters have been in and out of the state in recent days.

At a Los Angeles rally Sunday, Maria Shriver, the wife of California's Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, endorsed⁵ Illinois senator Barack Obama. Her husband backs Republican candidate John McCain.

Shriver, a Democrat⁴, is the niece of the late president John F. Kennedy and is the third prominent Kennedy to back Obama, after Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg and Senator Edward Kennedy endorsed him a week ago.

"The more I thought about it, I thought, you know, if Barack Obama was a state, he'd be California. I mean, think about it, think about it - diverse, open, smart, independent, bucks⁶ tradition, innovative⁷, inspiring, dreamer, leader," she said.

The Kennedys, like many Democrats⁸, are divided. Several other family members are backing New York Senator Hillary Clinton.

The independent Field Poll organization said Sunday that Clinton's lead in California has evaporated, and she is now in a dead heat here with Obama.

Among Republicans, Arizona Senator John McCain doubled a four-point lead from two weeks ago to lead former Massachusetts governor Mitt⁹ Romney by eight points in the state, or 32 to 24 percent. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee trails at 13 percent.

As Californians make their choices Tuesday, they will be joined by voters in neighboring Arizona and New Mexico, and others in Colorado and the so-called inter-mountain states of Utah, Idaho and Montana. Alaskans will also hold both Republican and Democratic caucuses.

Political analyst¹⁰ Sherry Bebitch Jeffe says voters in the West are concerned with national issues, such as the economy and Iraq.

"There are also very specific issues, such as the environment, energy, water is a major issue in the West. Obviously, gasoline prices are of a critical concern in the West. But those issues that concern most Americans are those that also concern Westerners and Californians - the economy, Iraq, education, immigration, health care," she said.

She says there are really two different races under way. One is for the popular vote, the other is a hunt for delegates to the nominating conventions of the parties.

"And that will go on delegate by delegate, congressional district by congressional district. So even if, for example, [looking at] one of the two Democratic candidates, even if Barack Obama does not win the popular vote in California, he can come out with a significant number of delegates," Jeffee said.

Because of complicated rules for awarding delegates, she says one candidate could conceivably win the popular vote in a state like California, but the other could win the most delegates.

The campaigns and political organizations are working to get out the vote.

One grassroots group on the Democratic side was started by former presidential candidate Howard Dean, who is now chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Dean's brother, Jim, chairs the group Democracy for America, which has not endorsed a presidential candidate, but is urging Democrats to vote.

He says after a nominee² emerges in the coming weeks or months, the focus will shift to November's general election, when voters across the country will choose the next president, and also vote for members of congress, and state and local officials.

"We'll certainly be helping¹¹ the nominee, whoever that is, but it's going to be about getting everybody out there and getting everyone to talk to their family, friends and neighbors about how important this election is, both at the local, state, federal and certainly presidential level," he said.

Political analysts¹² say interest in Super Tuesday is high in the West, and they expect a good voter turnout.

1 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

2 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。

3 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

4 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。

5 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

8 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》

9 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

10 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

11 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。