“超级星期二”为什么如此重要？

(2016-02-24 07:59:03)

分类：政治与经济

许多美国球迷都非常期待“超级杯星期天”(Super Bowl Sunday)。而关心政治的美国人期待的是“超级星期二”(Super Tuesday)。超级星期二指的是什么，它为什么如此重要？

美国的主要政党，民主党和共和党，在各自的党代会上选出他们各自的总统和副总统候选人，每个州（以及数个美国领地）将派代表参加这次大会。在2016年2月，有四个州——艾奥瓦州(Iowa)、新罕布什尔州(New Hampshire)、内华达州(Nevada)和南卡罗来纳州(South Carolina)——在不同日期推选他们的代表。

但在3月1日，也就是超级星期二，全美有14个州和领地[请见英文日程安排]将同时举行初选和预选会议(caucus)，选出1,000多名民主党代表和600多名共和党代表，这些代表承诺支持某一位总统候选人。由于民主党人需要2,382名代表，而共和党人需要1,237名代表，才能获得党内提名，在超级星期二投票的各州为推选两党的旗手发挥着重要的作用。

多州同时举行初选

为什么有些州会选择在同一天举行初选和预选会议呢？这是为了最大限度地发挥自己的影响力。许多在超级星期二投票的州和领地的人口较少，代表人数也较少。通过在同一天举行初选，它们可以共同在选择下一任美国总统中发挥更大的影响力。

https://share.america.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/AP_080205016282-256x300.jpg在2008年的“超级星期二”，一位选民正在考虑投票给哪位候选人。（© AP Images）

另一个因素是，许多在超级星期二投票的州在全国性问题上都有类似的关切。其中许多州在南方——南方各州的数目多到媒体甚至将3月1日称为“SEC初选”，得名于美国大学联赛中的“东南联盟”(Southeastern Conference)。

阿肯色大学(University of Arkansas)教授安德鲁·道都(Andrew Dowdle)在接受当地新闻频道KNWA的采访时说：“这样做的目的是让关心同类问题的各州同时举行初选。这可能对提名过程产生更大的影响。”

超级星期二还可以起到缩小参选人范围的作用。一些在这14个州表现不佳的候选人可能会退出竞选，要么是因为他们已经得出难以胜出的结论，要么是因为他们此时发现召集志愿者、筹集竞选资金以及吸引媒体报道都会更加困难。

What is ‘Super Tuesday,’ and why is it important?

Many American sports fans look forward to Super Bowl Sunday. But Americans who follow politics wait for “Super Tuesday.” What is Super Tuesday, and why is it important?

The major U.S. political parties — Democratic and Republican — select their presidential and vice presidential candidates at a party convention to which each state (and several U.S. territories) sends delegates. During February 2016, four states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — are selecting delegates.

But on March 1, Super Tuesday, 14 U.S. states and territories will hold primaries and caucuses to choose more than 1,000 Democratic and 600 Republican delegates pledged to one or another of the presidential candidates. Since a Democrat needs 2,382 delegates, and a Republican 1,237, to capture the party nomination, Super Tuesday states play a big role in choosing each party’s standard-bearer.

States banding together

Why do some states choose to hold their primaries and caucuses on the same day? To maximize their influence. Many of the Super Tuesday states and territories have small populations and few delegates. By holding their contests on the same day, they can collectively have a greater effect on selecting the next U.S. president.

https://share.america.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/AP_080205016282-256x300.jpgA Super Tuesday voter in 2008 considers her options. (© AP Images)

Another factor is that many Super Tuesday states have similar concerns on national issues. Many of them are in the South — so many that the media has also called March 1 the “SEC Primary,” after the Southeastern Conference in U.S. college athletics.

“The idea is you have states who have similar interests go at the same time. That may have a larger effect on the nomination process,” University of Arkansas Professor Andrew Dowdle told local news channel KNWA.

Super Tuesday also serves to narrow the field of contenders. A number of candidates who perform poorly in those 14 state contests can be expected to drop out of the race, either because they’ve concluded they can’t win, or because they now will find it more difficult to attract volunteers, raise campaign funds or attract media coverage.

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