美国国家公共电台 NPR--Are Republicans on the right track? They are pushing culture-war issues

Are Republicans on the right track? They are pushing culture-war issues

Transcript¹

Republicans across the country are pursuing legislation cracking down on social issues. A new NPR poll indicates the GOP risks being out of step with voters.

SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:

Across the country, Republican lawmakers are pursuing legislative² crackdowns on social issues, from abortion³ and transgender rights to drag performances. And the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll indicates that Republicans risk being out of step with voters. NPR political correspondent Kelsey Snell has been looking into this and joins me now. Hi, Kelsey.

KELSEY SNELL, BYLINE⁵: Hi, good morning.

PFEIFFER: In terms of Republican messaging and legislating⁶, how prevalent are these culture war issues?

SNELL: Well, right now, at least nine states are considering bills to restrict or criminalize drag shows, and more than a dozen states are considering bills banning instruction around gender⁴ and sexual orientation⁷. Now, that is in addition to states like Florida, where policies on these issues are already law. The governor there, Ron DeSantis, put it this way in January.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RON DESANTIS: Florida is where woke goes to die.

SNELL: Now, this is central to his political image and could be central to his political ambitions. DeSantis is expected to run for president, and, you know, he has not announced yet. But he is pushing ahead with more restrictive laws for schools, and Florida's Legislature is also considering a ban on abortions⁸ at six weeks. So at the national level, House Republicans passed a parental⁹ rights bill last week, and that was aimed at giving parents more oversight¹⁰ in schools. But critics say the policy could lead to book bans and measures blocking sex ed or other topics in the classroom.

PFEIFFER: How are voters responding to this political approach?

SNELL: Yeah, so our latest poll shows that a majority of respondents oppose bills that would criminalize providing gender transition care for minors¹¹. Now, 54% of registered voters said they would oppose such legislation and 43% support criminalizing that care. But when you dig deeper, nearly two-thirds of Republicans support criminalizing gender transition care. But the number to watch is the independents. As we know, independents have been critical in recent elections, and they may have a major impact on next year's presidential election. You know, more than half of those independents do not want to criminalize that care.

PFEIFFER: And that's just one issue in this debate. What about other issues?

SNELL: You know, the poll also asked about banning drag shows, which has become kind of another flashpoint in this moment. And again, we see 58% of respondents oppose restrictions¹², including 57% of independents. That once again puts them - 61% of Republicans who support the bans at odds¹³ with the national sentiment. You know, and this isn't the only cultural issue where Republicans are pursuing legislation at odds with a majority of the national electorate¹⁴. We have seen poll after poll showing that a large majority of Americans support protections for abortion rights, for example. And that issue cost Republicans in the midterms significantly.

PFEIFFER: Kelsey, if the polling indicates that most people oppose these Republican-led positions, then how risky¹⁵ is it for Republicans to keep going along with this kind of messaging?

SNELL: You know, to stay with abortion, some within their own party are warning about overstepping. Take Nancy Mace¹⁶. She's a Republican congresswoman from South Carolina, and she has been introducing bills to set more moderate positions for the party, particularly when it comes to attempts to restrict abortion rights and access to contraception.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

NANCY MACE: These are not messages that we can stand behind, and we have to stand up to the extremism and show some balance.

SNELL: But the focus from Republicans on social issues has actually started to shift some opinions. Our polling team asked about gender transition care for minors in 2021, and support for criminalizing that care went from just 28% to now 43%. And that is a huge shift. The next election really is still far away. Many Republicans believe they can convince more people in that time, though there really is a risk that they could go too far.

PFEIFFER: NPR political correspondent Kelsey Snell, thank you.

SNELL: Thanks for having me.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOUSE ON THE KEYS' "PHASES")

1 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。

2 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

3 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

4 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 legislating   

v.立法，制定法律( legislate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Why are the senators sitting there without legislating? 为什么那些议员们做在那里不立法？ 来自互联网
• From legislating and protecting peasant's interests organizationally. " 从立法和组织上保护农民利益。 来自互联网

7 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

8 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

9 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

10 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

11 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

13 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

14 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

15 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

16 mace   

n.狼牙棒，豆蔻干皮

参考例句：

• The sword and mace were favourite weapons for hand-to-hand fighting.剑和狼牙棒是肉搏战的最佳武器。
• She put some mace into the meat.她往肉里加了一些肉豆蔻干皮。