VOA慢速英語:奧巴馬的低支持率讓民主黨擔(dān)憂(中文導(dǎo)讀)

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Obama’s Weak Poll Ratings Worry Democrats
中文導(dǎo)讀：今年是美國的國會(huì)選舉年，民主黨對奧巴馬的低支持率表示擔(dān)憂。在民意調(diào)查中，只有40%的人民支持他，這將不利于民主黨對參議院的控制。在過去一段時(shí)間，非法移民一直是中心議題，而奧巴馬卻主要談?wù)摻?jīng)濟(jì)和國會(huì)通過法律的失敗。共和黨計(jì)劃采取法律行動(dòng)來反抗奧巴馬，他們將會(huì)要求法官停止他的一些權(quán)力。共和黨責(zé)怪奧巴馬未做好美國南部邊境的安全工作。一些民主黨人正在給總統(tǒng)施壓。奧巴馬總統(tǒng)似乎準(zhǔn)備參加民主黨候選人的競選，但是還不確定有多人相信他的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)而幫助他，又有多少人會(huì)遠(yuǎn)離他。

This is a congressional election year in the United States. Some Democratic Party candidates are concerned about President Obama’s unpopularity

In public opinion surveys, about 40 percent of people approve of the way Mr. Obama does his job. That could hurt the Democrats’ chances to keep control of the Senate.

Illegal immigration has been a central news issue in the recent past. But, Mr. Obama is talking mostly about the economy and Congress’ failure to pass legislation.

“Whenever and wherever I have the power, the legal authority to help families like yours, even if Congress is not doing anything, I will take that opportunity. I will try to make something happen.”

Republican Party lawmakers plan to take legal action against Mr. Obama. They say they will ask a judge to order him to stop using some presidential powers.

“You hear some of them, ‘Sue him!’ ‘Impeach him!’ Really? Really? For what? You are going to sue me for doing my job?”

Republicans blame the president for not doing more to secure the southern border of the United States. Speaker of the House John Boehner is among those critics.

“This is a problem of the president’s own making! He has been president for five and one-half years. When is he going to take responsibility for something?”

Some Democrats also are pressuring the president. Illinois Representative Luis Gutierrez wants to protect children who are illegally entering the United States.

“I plan to support the president’s budget request, but we must make sure we do not short-circuit justice for the children.”

Charlie Cook is a U.S. political expert. He says the president’s weak public opinion ratings will make it difficult for Democrats to get elected in November.

“Whenever you have a president and a midterm election where the president’s approval rating is well below 50 percent and whose disapproval ratings are above 50 percent, at or above 50 percent, it is a problem.”

John Fortier is a political expert at Bipartisan Policy Center. He says Republicans could control both the House and Senate next year.

“They need six seats to take to make the majority, but they have got a good shot, at least a 50-50 shot, of taking the Senate and probably even gaining a few seats in the House.”

Mr. Cook says the second term in office is often difficult for American presidents.

“You get into years six, seven and eight and they kind of run out of gas and bad things typically happen.”

Mr. Obama appears to be ready to campaign for Democratic Party candidates. But it is not clear how many of them believe his support would help them. Some of them think it would hurt, so they are staying away from the president.

I’m Caty Weaver.