总统选举历史(1/2)
概述：有关美国总统选举的历史故事。Hints:
Iowa
Mitt Romney
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
Rick Santorum
New Hampshire
South Carolina
Professor Candice Nelson
Phil Elliott
Associated Press
翻译：marrywhy
校对：OFELIA1030
组长：wintervest
答疑：凌云飞雪http://t1.g.hjfile.cn/listen/201201/201201200833045135607.mp3The United States has a long process for choosing candidates to run for president every four years.
The first voting of this election season took place on January 3rd in Iowa at local political meetings known as caucuses. Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, finished just eight votes ahead of former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum.
Iowa traditionally holds the first caucuses, while New Hampshire holds the first primary election. In primaries in other states, voters who are registered with a political party can only vote for candidates from that party. But in some states, including New Hampshire, people can vote in primaries even if they are not registered with a party.
The next primary is this Saturday in South Carolina. Since 1980,no Republican presidential candidate has won the nomination without winning South Carolina.
Professor Candice Nelson at American University in Washington is an expert on elections.
"The purpose of the primary season was to enable candidates to introduce themselves to the voters, to let the voters get to know the candidates, to think about the candidates over the course of three or four months."
Many of the people who attend campaign rallies and other events do not just want to shake hands with a candidate. They want answers on issues. Phil Elliott is a political reporter with the Associated Press.
"They go to these events. They pack the coffee shops. They wait for hours to meet the candidates and ask them very serious and substantive questions."每隔四年，美国都会举行一场漫长的总统竞选。
本次选举季的第一次选举于1月3日在爱荷华州当地的党团会议中进行。前马萨诸塞州州长米特·罗姆尼仅领先宾夕法尼亚州前参议员瑞克·圣托姆8票。
通常第一次党团会议都会在爱荷华州举行，而初选则在新罕布什尔举行。在有些州的初选中，有党派的选民只能投票给同党的候选人。 而在另一些州，如新罕布什尔，即使你没有加入该党派你也可以投票给该党的候选人。
下一次的初选将于本周六在南卡罗来纳举行。自1980年以来，没有任何一个没赢得南卡罗来纳州选举的共和党候选人曾获得过总统候选人提名。
华盛顿美利坚大学的坎迪斯·纳尔逊教授是一名选举方面的专家。
他表示“初选的目的就是让候选人将自己介绍给选民们，选民也可以了解候选人，并在接下来的三四个月中好好对候选人进行考察。”
许多人参加竞选集会或其他竞选活动可不仅仅是和候选人握手去的。他们希望得到问题的答案。
来自美联社的时政记者菲尔艾略特表示：“选民们参加这些集会活动，或聚集在咖啡厅中，甚至等上几个小时就是为了见到那些候选人并询问一些尖锐但涉及切身利益的问题。”。
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