初中生眼里的美国大选

四年一度的美国大选将在１１月６日正式进行。

开学初，当孩子们听说这学期社会学课的一部分内容是关于大选，他们会在课堂上紧密关注今年的总统竞选，并在大学的帮助下进行模拟投票时，激动不已。

因为家里订了时代周刊，孩子们已经跟踪大选一年了，对共和党候选人（包括已经退出角逐的那些候选人）的了解比我多多了，对政治兴趣越来越浓。最近的两党全国代表大会全程观看。

这几天孩子们在做学校的作业：比较奥巴马和罗姆尼接受总统候选人提名的演讲。于是，他们把两者的演讲录像看了好几遍，又把文字记录看了一遍，仔细思考比较两者的异同。这些政治的东西我听一遍还觉得很有意思，几遍下来就觉得枯燥了，难得孩子们依然兴趣盎然。

他爸偷偷地笑着说：“They are comparing who is less stupid :) ".  不过在孩子们面前还是很支持地：““写好了给我看一下，可以帮助我决定到底选谁。”

想想奥巴马和罗姆尼的演讲要覆盖的人群真广，连对这些十几岁的青少年的影响也要考虑到。全美国有多少初高中的学生也在关注着这次的竞选，在学习，在思考，在形成自己的世界观，价值观。  几年后，他们的选票正式生效。

我把孩子们的文章附在后边，想看的随便看看。文章比较稚嫩，毕竟孩子们刚上八年级（初中二年级）。不过这是思考的开端，我很欣喜。前几年他们听奥巴马的演讲时还是完全学习的态度，现在已经能批判性地学习了。孩子成长得真快啊。

大儿子的文章：

Romney vs. Obama

Barack Obama, the current President of the United States of America and Democratic nominee for the next President, and Willard Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, had many similarities in their acceptance as nominee speeches. Mitt Romney and Barack Obama both addressed the economy, jobs, and foreign policy. They both talked about making more jobs in America instead of outsourcing to other countries. They both placed emphasis on education. Obama talked about his plan for every high school graduate to be able to attend college and his plan to recruit a hundred thousand new science and math teachers. Romney and Obama also both tried to win women voters. Mitt Romney stressed how his cabinet, when he was Governor of Massachusetts, was half women. Barack Obama was careful to choose a female for a lot of his examples of people (e.g. businesswoman instead of businessman).  Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama gave examples of great American achievements, like Neil Armstrong’s landing on the Moon and the innovations of Steve Jobs, to show how great America is. Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama mentioned their humble backgrounds in order to win voters living in humble conditions themselves. For example, Mitt Romney told how his father was a poor immigrant from Mexico, and talked about his hard life as a child. Both of them dressed similarly, except for their tie. Romney wore a red tie and Obama wore a blue tie. Both Obama and Romney addressed the importance of family.  Romney said that no matter how tough his job was, he knew that his wife’s job as a mom would always be harder and more important. Romney and Obama both spoke about how the USA is united, and how citizens will work hard and help each other. They both made it seem like the Presidents job was to help the citizens.

Romney referred to Obama many times. Romney said that Obama was a disappointment to the American people, so Obama shouldn’t be reelected. He made Obama seem like someone who let down the trust that the American people placed in him. Romney said that the American People deserved better than the current situation. He blamed Obama for not fixing the economy well enough, so he said people should vote for him instead.

Obama only directly referred to Romney once, with the phrase “Governor Romney.” He was generally polite, but he mocked the Republicans habit of cutting taxes.  He usually referred to Romney as “my opponent”, and said what he would do instead of what his opponent would do, as if what Romney would do was wrong.

Romney wants to strengthen the military more by putting a lot of money into it, so that the United States will be safe from any enemy. By contrast, Obama says that though he will maintain the strength of the military, he will stop the war in the Middle East, and will use the saved money from that to pay down the debt and put people back to work rebuilding roads and bridges and schools. Obama mentions how Romney is planning to give more money to the military than the Pentagon is even asking for.

Mitt Romney focused a lot of his speech on his business experience from Bain Capital, and Obama’s lack of business experience.

Obama said that he doesn’t believe cutting taxes for millionaires so that the middle class has to pay more is a good idea. He said that he refuses to lower taxes for rich people so that lower-class people have to give up things like lower tuition costs for college.

Obama tolerates gays, and said that people shouldn’t be discriminated against because of whom they love. Romney, on the other hand, said that he would “protect the institution of marriage”, which means he will try to not allow untraditional marriage.

Romney has a plan for 12 million new jobs in five steps: using all energy resources available, better education, stricter trade regulations, cutting the deficit, and reduce taxes on businesses. However, he didn’t tell specifically how he would do some of these.

Energy was a big part of Obama’s speech. Romney stated that he wanted to use oil and coal, but Obama said he would invest in using solar, wind power, and natural gas alternatives. His plan would decrease by a large amount the carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere by the United States. Also, his plan would create many new jobs, with six hundred thousand in natural gas alone.

Obama, near the end of his speech, talked about the importance of citizenship, and how that meant that when voters voted for him four years ago, they weren’t voting for him, but were voting for their own interests. This was probably meant to attract more voters and keep the voters he had from the last election.

     Most importantly, Romney implied that Americans should vote Mitt Romney, and Obama implied that Americans should vote Barack Obama.

小儿子的文章：

Comparison of Romney and Obama Acceptance Speeches: # SJJ@SM

General Comparisons:

Clothing –
•    Both candidates wore the same type of suit, but Romney wore a red tie and Obama wore a blue tie.

Gestures –
•    Barack Obama used the “basketball hold.”
•    Romney used no hand gestures.

Eye contact –
•    Obama turned from side to side while speaking, and rarely looked into the camera.  These times he reserved for emphasizing important points.
•    Mitt Romney looked into the camera for most of the time.

Referring to each other –
•    Romney said the name “Barack Obama” twice and “President Obama” 8 times, so he addressed Obama directly a total of 10 times.
•    Obama said “Governor Romney” once, and that was the only direct address to Romney.  Obama also indirectly referred to Romney and his group once, as “our opponents.”

Topics discussed -
•    Obama discussed his family, jobs, the economy, education, and the military/foreign policy.
•    Romney discussed his family, supporting women, business, jobs, and failure at solving world problems.

Criticizing each other –
•    Obama mainly stated facts about Romney and his plans that Obama considered unsatisfactory.
•    Romney stated Obama’s plans that he didn’t like.  Romney also said 3 times that Obama has “disappointed” people (or some variation of the phrase)

Speech Comparisons:

At the beginning each candidate spoke about his own humble background and how hard he worked.  Romney mentioned how hard working his wife is, and Obama also calls out to his wife.  Obama and Romney each talked about how great the U.S. is and how hard working we are.  Then, Mitt Romney talked a lot about businesses, which is his specialty. Barack Obama talked a bit about foreign policy, which is his specialty.  One of the biggest topics they both talked about was jobs.  Each candidate said they would train workers and create many jobs.  They also talked about the economy, promising to reduce the national debt.  Obama mocked how all Republicans do are to take tax cuts.  Both candidates did not give any specifics about how they would fix all the problems.  Romney said he would support gas and oil exploration, while Barack Obama said he would do the same but will not allow the U.S. to become dependent on them.  Romney says that Obama will cut Medicare spending by $716 billion, but Obama denies it, saying he’s going to spend exactly as much money as Romney’s plan dictates.  Romney criticizes Obama for not solving the world’s problems, and Romney says he will take action instead of just talking.  Finally, they each asked the audience to vote for them, directly or indirectly.

You can read the following too if you want.  I summarized both speeches for you:

Here are the overviews/summaries.  Quotes from the speaker are in this font and surrounded by quotation marks.  These summaries represent what the speakers say, and do not necessarily reflect this paper’s author’s views.  Also, I have tried to include as little bias as possible, if any:

Overview – President Barack Obama:

1.    He is lucky to be in his family, have his vice president, and be in this nation.
2.    His parents worked hard for the U.S., and were proud of it.  Because of working hard, they were awarded with the chance to “fulfill the basic bargain at the heart of America's story.”
3.    Obama saw how bad the situation in U.S. was, and so ran for president to try to fix the problems.
4.    The Republicans were “more than happy” to discuss what’s wrong with America, but didn’t state how they would change them.  All they do is cut taxes.
5.    Obama will cut taxes for only middle-class families and businesses.  Regulations will stay the same.
6.    Obama will solve America’s problems, but needs time.  Solving the challenges will be hard but worth it.
7.    We can choose a future in which America has the best workers in the world again.  Obama has tried hard to make that come true.
8.    Shipping jobs overseas in not good.  Instead, we need to train workers and create more jobs here in the U.S.
9.    Obama’s opponents want us to become more reliant on oil and gas, but the best way is actually to invest in clean/renewable energies, which will make U.S. more energy independent and create jobs.
10.     We have called for higher standards for education, which is the gateway for opportunity, and it’s been working.
11.     Opponents want to gut education, but we need education to succeed.  As long as we all work hard, we can “outeducate and outcompete any nation on earth”.
12.     Obama, who’s leadership has been “tested and proven,” has ended the war in Iraq, weakened the Taliban and al-Qaeda, killed Osama bin Laden, strengthened and created alliances/coalitions, stood up for our workers, and advanced human rights.
13.      We pay tribute to all the American troops who serve us, and on their behalf Obama will make sure the U.S.’s military is the best in the world.
14.      Challenges still remain, though.  Now we have two choices: Obama; or his opponents who are new to foreign policy and who will “take us back to an era of blustering and blundering that cost America so dearly.”
15.      “My opponent said that it was tragic to end the war in Iraq. And he won't tell us how he'll end the war in Afghanistan.”
16.      Obama’s opponents want to spend money on the military that will just be wasted.  Obama will spend that money on lowering the national debt, producing jobs, and improving infrastructure.
17.      Obama’s plan will cut the debt by $4 trillion and reform the tax code.   Governor Romney says that he will lower the debt by giving tax breaks to the wealthy, but “you do the arithmetic.”  He will let the wealthy pay less and make everyone else pay more.  Romney will also turn Medicare into a voucher.  Obama will reform Medicare.
18.      The citizens of America are the ones who have made many people’s dreams possible.  You must make your voice heard, because if you don’t, the self-interested ones and the rich ones will rig the system.
19.      Obama is proud of what we achieved, but is also mindful of his failings.  Even so, he is hopeful of America because of you.
20.      It will take a while, and it’ll be hard, but we will do it, and make America a better place.

Overview – Governor Mitt Romney:

1.    Paul Ryan is strong, caring, down to earth, and confident.  He will be the U.S.’s next vice president.
2.    Americans are naturally optimistic, positive, confident, generous, and united.  “That optimism is uniquely American.”
3.    The U.S. is a nation of immigrants.  They came not only for riches, but also for freedom.
4.    People have always wished that their children would have a better future.  “This was the hope and change America voted for.”  “It’s what Americans deserved.”  Nowadays all you can do is stay optimistic and hope for the best.
5.    President Obama has promised to make America succeed, but “his promises gave way to disappointment and division. This isn't something we have to accept.”
6.    “Now is the moment when we can stand up and say, ‘I'm an American. I make my destiny. And we deserve better! My children deserve better! My family deserves better. My country deserves better!’”
7.    Romney’s father was born in Mexico, and he and his family were war refugees during the Mexican Revolution.  “He had big dreams.”  He moved to Detroit, headed an automobile company, and became governor of Michigan.
8.    Romney’s father and mother gave their children “the gift of unconditional love.”  Romney’s parents were partners and cared for and supported each other greatly.
9.    “As Governor of Massachusetts, I chose a woman Lieutenant Governor, a woman chief of staff, half of my cabinet and senior officials were women, and in business, I mentored and supported great women leaders who went on to run great companies.”
10.      Romney used to want to be a “car guy” like his dad, but “I wanted to go someplace new and prove myself.”
11.      Ann Romney had the hard job of trying to raise five young sons.  “I knew that her job as a mom was harder than mine. And I knew without question, that her job as a mom was a lot more important than mine.”
12.      The strength, power, and goodness of America come from our communities, faiths, and families.
13.      The president has disappointed America because he has almost no experience in business.  Romney started Bain Capital and succeeded, so he understands what business is about and how it’s like.
14.      “Is it any wonder that someone who attacks success has led the worst economic recovery since the Great Depression? In America, we celebrate success, we don't apologize for it.”
15.      Because of this president, you are not better off than you were four years ago.  “Now is the time to restore the Promise of America.”
16.      Obama’s economy has crushed the middle class.  He will eliminate jobs.  “His assault on coal and gas and oil will send energy and manufacturing jobs to China.”  He will cut spending for our military, cut Medicare by $716 billion, and create trillion-dollar deficits.
17.      Unlike the president, Romney will create 12 million new jobs.  He will take advantage of coal, gas, gas, nuclear, and renewable energies.  He will train workers, forge new trade agreements, cut the deficit, and reduce taxes on small businesses.
18.     Obama has taken out Osama bin Laden, but “every American is less secure today because he has failed to slow Iran's nuclear threat.”  All he does is talk, and that’s gotten us nowhere.  Obama’s betrayed allies, relaxed sanctions on Castro’s Cuba, walked away from missile defense commitments, and is “eager to give Russia's President Putin the flexibility he desires, after the election.”
19.      “You might have asked yourself if these last years are really the America we want, the America won for us by the greatest generation.”  The answer is no.
20.      If Romney is elected President, he will work will all his energy to create a better future.

------------------

(I’m interested in politics, so this was pretty fun. )

Barack Obama speech transcript:
http://www.npr.org/2012/09/06/160713941/transcript-president-obamas-convention-speech

Mitt Romney speech transcript:
http://www.npr.org/2012/08/30/160357612/transcript-mitt-romneys-acceptance-speech

[ 此帖被xiaolu在09-14-2012 16:56重新编辑 ]

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