经济学人下载:奥巴马,可能败选的总统

Barack Obama and the Republicans
奥巴马与共和党

A beatable president
能被击败的总统

But only if a Republican candidate starts laying out a sensible plan for the American economy
条件是共和党候选人开始为美国经济开出良方

Jun 9th 2011 | from the print edition    

NEXT week a collection of largely unknown Republicans will hold the first proper TV debate of the 2012 presidential campaign. Whoever eventually wins their party’s nomination then has to take on Barack Obama, the giant of American politics. The president has a huge war-chest, his own party firmly behind him and a rare capacity to inspire. Yet he is vulnerable. This week a poll showed him in a dead heat with Mitt Romney, the Republican front-runner. America’s sluggish recovery will give any challenger a chance. The question is whether any Republican has the personality and especially the ideas to take him on. For the best way to make this race competitive—and the best thing for America—is to force voters to confront the hard choices their country has to make.

下周，一群大都不知名的共和党人将举行2012年总统选举的第一次电视辩论。 无论谁获胜取得本党的题目都将面对奥巴马——这位美国政坛的巨人。总统有巨额的竞选经费，以及他的政党作为坚实的后盾，还有罕见的号召力。然而他仍然是脆弱的。本周的民调显示他与前美国麻州州长罗姆尼的支持率持平，后者现在可谓是共和党的领军式人物。美国经济迟缓恢复将为任何挑战者提供机会。问题在于是否任何共和党人都具有向奥巴马挑战所需的个人魅力特别是政纲。使这场竞赛更具竞争性的最好方式——以及对美国最有益的——是迫使选民直面这个国家的艰难抉择。