（与老外聊天）热门话题之“美国大选"

juncom

This series provides you an innovative approach to learn spoken english. It features:
1) Boost your confident in english conversation within minutes.
2) Cover the hot topics in current affairs.
3) Ready-to-use chatting material
4) Easy to recite or repeat
5) quote from english native speaker.
6) professional opinon makes you sound like an expert.


Today's topic: 2008 US presidential election.

(The following opinons are quoted from http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/30/2405500.htm)

Please keep yourself focused in the next 7 mins and you will feel different next time when you talk with foreigners. :)

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America needs a revolution of leadership and Obama looks like the guy. The world is waiting for renewal in the West.

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which guy to vote for... the one (Obama) telling you his vision of how the country should be run, or the one sulking and trying to tell you how the other guy isn't good enough while not telling you what he's going to do if he were to be President.

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Obama's black and that feel good transformation from 'slavery to the White House' thing seems to be more important. A bit like our own voters last year - those that wanted change would have voted for anyone up against Howard.

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The fact of the matter is that on 20 January 2009 John McCain will be 72 years old. To serve two terms he'd have to make it to 80. If he died in office, Sarah Palin would become President.
But Sarah Palin is a nutcase, she support more or less unlimited Second Amendment rights despite 30-40,000 gun deaths in the US per annum, wants to hunt polar bears, would drill in Alaska without second thoughts, has been shown to abuse executive power, supports sex-education strategies that just don't work.

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This is the most exciting polital contest I've ever seen in the US.

But at the risk being a bit of a wet blanket, I will be amazed if the US elects a black president and despite what the polls say I stilll don't think it's going to happen. I've spent a lot of time in the states and the great majority of the population is either bigoted, paranoid, uneducated, or morrally confused sometimes all of the above.

Also I think people are assuming Obama has the power to change the US. He does not. This power resides in both houses which often act confused and erratic. The executive powers of the president are very restricted. It would not surprise me if we find ourselves 4 years from where we are now and it's still "same old same old."

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I watched a programme on TV the other night, which delved into both candidates in detail. McCain - shot down in Vietnam, POW (prison of war), offered early release by the VC (who had discovered McCain's father was a serving Admiral) but declined - his "honour" wouldn't let him leave his fellow POW's so he did another 5 years. Then entered politics after medically fit.

Obama - elected to the US Senate in 2005. Has sat on committees. Previous to that law school and a job as a "Community Organiser". Wow! I'm impressed!

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Really I would say.

One guy actually is stating policies and how he aims to solve problems - Obama.
The other runs a negative fear campaign with no detail of how he will solve the problems that have occured under the leadership of his party - Mc Cain.

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Unfortunately presidential elections have become little more than advertising campaigns. Who can market themselves the slickest. Who can afford the top rating slots on TV. Who can capitalise on saying the right things at the right time. I fear that in this world of the 30 minutes media grab, we know very little about who these candidates really are. What are their beliefs, and convictions? Are they people of character, or simpy big talkers? Where are they going to lead America? Because like it or not, the rest of the world will be pulled along for the ride. I for one, am not impressed.

Obama's published 2 books about himself, done thousand's of interviews and been a social activist for years. He has spoken consistently throughout his pre and political career, his opinions reflecting his life experiences. A once in a lifetime leader type.
Added to that is an army of investigative journalists scrutinising his every move while he works in the media glare. How much more about him do you need to know?

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Obama shows some fantastic insight, he has plans of a universal healthcare system to bring the USA in line with the rest of the world's richer countries. He shows a focus on education and promoting business. Somehow the Texan-grey haired mentality sees that as Socialism.
Look at Denmark, you can provide health care AND be prosperous. You don't have to forego basical social responsibility to be successful

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Sydney University in Australia, just released results from a poll they conducted that shows about 76% of Australians want to see Obama as the next President..

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The campaign is boringly long (two years) where it goes on for so long that you can visually see the candidates ageing. In this day and age of electronics, why is their campaign any longer than ours, Canada, New Zealand or Britain?


Please see another topic about "Australian dollar fell 40%":
http://www.oursteps.com.au/bbs/v ... &extra=page%3D1

[ 本帖最后由 juncom 于 2008-11-2 15:36 编辑 ]

黑山老妖

I like the first part!
Very good advertising statements!