您現在的位置: > Language Tips > Audio & Video > Normal Speed News  
     





     
    Economy, immigration top US voters' concerns
    [ 2006-10-27 09:34 ]

    American public opinion polls show economic issues, questions of governance and immigration reform as top domestic concerns as Americans prepare to vote in congressional and local elections November 7. Matters close to home are never far from voters' minds, but, this year, domestic issues appear to be taking a back seat to international affairs.

    It has long been said that Americans "vote their pocketbooks," meaning they tend to choose candidates they feel will promote and protect their economic well-being. But 2006 could be an exception, according to analyst Karlyn Bowman at the American Enterprise Institute.

    "It is Iraq, Iraq, Iraq, I think, with everything else a pretty distant second place," she said.

    Yet foreign affairs often touch upon domestic matters. For example, international trade pacts inevitably provoke concerns about local economic disruptions. The war in Iraq is no different, according to George Washington University public affairs professor Stephen Hess.

    "Things like war cost money. Money comes out of your pocketbook. So you can never think of international events, when they involve war, as being entirely international affairs," he said.

    Polls show a majority of Americans favoring opposition Democrats for control of Congress. But President Bush has pointed to strong economic numbers in making the case for continued Republican legislative leadership.

    "Vote Republican. We have the best plan to protect you," Mr. Bush said on ABC's This Week program. "And we will keep your taxes low to keep this economy growing. People are working. The unemployment rate is 4.6 percent. This economy is strong."

    But New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer says the American public is dissatisfied with Republican leadership.

    "People want change. People are not happy with the direction America is going. They are unhappy abroad with Iraq. They are unhappy at home because the middle class is squeezed [economically]," he said on CBS' Face the Nation program.

    American political commentator Stu Rothenberg says Americans are somber about the economy despite several years of expansion.

    "The economy is a mixed picture," he noted. "The big numbers in terms of unemployment, economic growth - there are some indicators that people should be happy [with the economy]. But they are not. They do not think the economy is performing all that well."

    Rothenberg says broad public apprehension about the situation in Iraq is casting gloom over everything else, including economic performance. Nevertheless, he notes that falling gasoline prices in the United States can only help the governing party.

    Republicans have controlled the White House since 2001 and both houses of Congress for 10 of the last 12 years. With one-party control of government, Republicans are likely to be credited for successes - and blamed for failures. George Washionton University political scientist Stephen Wayne says, when it comes to matters of governance, Republicans are on the defensive.

    "The mood of the country is sour," he said. "Less than 30 percent of the people approve of the job that Congress is doing. The president is disapproved by more people than he is approved. Trust in government is at an all-time low."

    Wayne says President Bush and Republicans, in general, have been hurt by public perceptions that the federal response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was slow and poorly managed. And, while both parties have had embarrassments to contend with, the recent resignation of a Republican congressman who sent sexually-explicit messages to teenage legislative assistants put an unwelcome spotlight on Republican governance and conduct.
     
    President Bush addressed the subject at a recent news conference.

    "It is important for there to be trust in the halls of Congress and in the White House and throughout government. People have got to trust elected leaders in order for democracy to work," he said.

    Political scientist Stephen Wayne says moral failings are especially damaging politically for Republicans, whose constituency includes large numbers of conservative Christians espousing so-called "family values."

    "It is not likely that they [religious voters] will come out and vote Democratic. But it is likely that they might not come out and vote," he said. "And, if a significant segment of the Christian Coalition decides to stay home in this election, that will really hurt the Republicans.

    Unlike in previous elections, there has been only modest national debate over divisive social issues like abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research. What has emerged as an explosive issue in many parts of the country is immigration reform and, in particular, what should become of 12 million illegal aliens living in the United States.

    A political advertisement from a North Carolina congressional race reveals the rancor spawned by the immigration debate.

    "Millions of Americans have lost their jobs to people who are not even supposed to be here. These illegal aliens pay no taxes but take our jobs and our government hand-outs, then spit in our face," the advertisement states.

    President Bush and others say immigrants have strengthened the United States and mass deportation of illegal aliens would be neither practical nor desirable. Mr. Bush has proposed comprehensive immigration reform that would include providing a path for law abiding illegal aliens to gain legal status. So far, however, Congress has only approved the construction of an 1,100-kilometer fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

     


    pocketbook : a purse/financial resources(錢包;經濟來源)

    illegal aliens :非法外來移民

    (來源:VOA  英語點津姍姍編輯

     

     
     

     

     

     
     

    48小時內最熱門

         

    本頻道最新推薦

         
      Economy, immigration top US voters' concerns
      Apply to an American college
      Rice urges UN to impose Iran sanctions now
      Efforts needed to protect children againt polio
      Bush expects Republicans to win on Election Day






    亚洲成A人片在线观看无码3D| 中文精品人人永久免费| 日日摸夜夜爽无码毛片精选| 91精品久久久久久无码| 无码人妻丝袜在线视频| 亚洲乳大丰满中文字幕| 精品久久久久久无码中文字幕 | A狠狠久久蜜臀婷色中文网| 狠狠噜天天噜日日噜无码| 免费无码又爽又刺激一高潮| 久久久久久久久久久久中文字幕| 国产在线拍偷自揄拍无码| 亚洲av无码国产精品色午夜字幕| 久久亚洲2019中文字幕| 亚洲日产无码中文字幕| 亚洲高清无码专区视频| 东京热加勒比无码少妇| 秋霞无码一区二区| 亚洲国产精品成人精品无码区在线| 久久精品?ⅴ无码中文字幕| 天堂资源中文最新版在线一区 | 日韩乱码人妻无码中文字幕| 高清无码在线视频| 精品无码一区二区三区爱欲| 无码精品国产VA在线观看| 亚洲AV区无码字幕中文色| 亚洲va中文字幕无码久久不卡| 日韩人妻无码精品专区| 无码人妻丰满熟妇啪啪网站| 久久精品?ⅴ无码中文字幕| 欧美日韩国产中文精品字幕自在自线 | 欧洲无码一区二区三区在线观看| 中文字幕无码日韩专区| 中文字字幕在线中文无码| 免费无码国产欧美久久18| 亚洲中文字幕无码爆乳AV | 精品久久无码中文字幕| 久久无码人妻一区二区三区午夜| 久久人妻少妇嫩草AV无码专区 | 无套中出丰满人妻无码| 亚洲AV无码一区二区三区DV|