VOA常速英语2008年-McCain, Obama Win Wisconsin Primary, Split Wash

By Greg Flakus
Houston
20 February 2008

Senator Barack Obama won the Wisconsin state Democratic presidential primary, Tuesday, the ninth win in a row for the charismatic junior senator from Illinois. On the Republican side, Senator John McCain was the winner. Now, as VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, the two frontrunners are targeting each other in anticipation¹ of the fight they see coming in November.

Voters in Wisconsin handed Barack Obama another big win, accelerating his momentum² as he heads into the delegate-rich primaries here in Texas and Ohio on March 4.

Speaking to supporters in a stadium in downtown Houston, Barack Obama hailed his victory in Wisconsin.

"I am grateful to the people of Wisconsin for their friendship and support and their extraordinary civic³ pride. You know, in Wisconsin, when you go to vote it is five degrees outside," he said.

Obama urged his supporters here in Texas to get out and vote before the March 4 primary. Early voting began here Tuesday and volunteers from both the Obama campaign and from Hillary Clinton's campaign were already on the streets today urging people to get to the polls.

The other big winner on Tuesday was John McCain, whose win moved him closer to locking up the Republican nomination⁴. Speaking in Columbus, Ohio, McCain thanked his supporters and praised his last viable⁵ challenger, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who, in spite of a string of losses, has refused to drop out of the race.

McCain looked beyond the nomination contest and directed his political fire at the presumed Democratic nominee⁶. In a thinly veiled reference to Barack Obama, he said he would fight to make sure "Americans are not deceived by an eloquent⁷, but empty call for change."

McCain also made reference to comments Obama had made in a debate last year and suggested he would make dangerously naïve decisions if he were to become president.

He said "We will risk the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate who once suggested bombing our ally, Pakistan, and suggested sitting down without preconditions or clear purpose with enemies who support terrorists and who are intent on destabilizing the world by acquiring nuclear weapons…"

In Houston, Obama also targeted McCain, saying that he represents failed policies of the past. Obama criticized McCain for supporting the war in Iraq, which he said has diverted attention from the real enemy, the Al Qaeda terrorists who attacked the United States in September, 2001.

Hillary Clinton has also questioned Obama's readiness to be president. She continued in that vein⁸ speaking to supporters in Youngstown, Ohio, Tuesday night, saying Americans cannot afford someone who needs what she called "on the job training."

"They need a president ready on day one to be commander in chief, ready to manage our economy and ready to defeat the Republicans in November," she said.

Clinton used similar statements in her campaigning in Wisconsin, but it appears to have little effect. Obama won in almost every demographic group, cutting into her strongest blocs⁹ of support, including women voters, which split about evenly between the two candidates.

1 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

2 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

3 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

4 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。

5 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

6 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。

7 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。

8 vein   

n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络

参考例句：

• The girl is not in the vein for singing today.那女孩今天没有心情唱歌。
• The doctor injects glucose into the patient's vein.医生把葡萄糖注射入病人的静脉。

9 blocs   

n.集团，联盟( bloc的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The division of Europe into warring blocs produces ever-increasing centrifugal stress. 把欧洲分为作战集团产生了越来越大的离心效果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The policy of the two blocs was played out. 把世界分为两个集团的政策已经过时了。 来自辞典例句