US Presidential Candidates Woo Iowa Voters Ahead of Key Vote

US Presidential Candidates Woo Iowa Voters Ahead of Key Vote

Just a week before the Iowa caucuses¹, which mark the beginning of the U.S. presidential election process, both Republican and Democratic candidates are rallying for voter support in the state.

Election results in Iowa and two weeks later in New Hampshire may signal which candidate has the best chance of winning the November election.

Donald Trump³ is still ahead on the Republican side, while Hillary Clinton faces a tough race with rival Bernie Sanders.

Front-runner status

Trump has held a steady lead in the Republican race, despite controversial statements, offensive remarks and what many consider insufficient⁴ knowledge of current and foreign affairs. His front-runner status has led him to brag⁵ that he is unstoppable.

"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue (in New York City) and shoot somebody and I would not lose any voters," he said over the weekend while campaigning.

One reason for his popularity is Trump's tough stance on illegal immigrants.  

“With the economy what it is in this country, we can’t afford to give our jobs away to people that are here and not willing to go through the process of coming legally," Trump supporter Donna Nichols said.

Despite his braggadocio⁶, Trump acknowledged that a win in Iowa is important. "It's crunch⁷ time, folks. I wanna win Iowa, I wanna really win it."

Texas Senator Ted⁸ Cruz lags behind Trump by more than 10 percent but hopes he can make a difference in Iowa.

"If we stand as 'We the people,' that we will bring back, we will restore that last, best hope for mankind -- that shining city on a hill that is the United States of America," Cruz told supporters.

Matching Clinton's support

On the Democratic side, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders appears to be gaining support that is matching Clinton's in some places. He enjoys a lot of support among young voters who are tired of politics as usual.

"They want this country to move in a new direction; they want to be part of a political revolution," Sanders said.

He has criticized the growing income inequality in the United States and the influence of money on politics.

"He is not funded by big companies. He is funded by private donors⁹. I mean, Hillary Clinton is a Democrat² but she is also, like, playing the game. She is funded by all these companies, so I am not for that as much," Sanders supporter student Bailey Baack said.

Reports from New York say that city's former mayor, Michael Bloomberg, may join the presidential race if Sanders becomes a threat to Clinton.

The billionaire, listed as one of the world's richest people, said he would fund his own campaign and run as an independent.

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 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。

3 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。

4 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

5 brag   

v./n.吹牛，自夸；adj.第一流的

参考例句：

• He made brag of his skill.他夸耀自己技术高明。
• His wealth is his brag.他夸张他的财富。

6 braggadocio   

n.吹牛大王

参考例句：

• He was disliked because his manner was always full of braggadocio.人们讨厌他，因为他老是吹牛。
• Underneath his goofball braggadocio lies a kind of purity.在他笨拙的自夸里蕴含着一丝纯洁。

7 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

8 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

9 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》