资料图:美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄
由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素,众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中,美国民主党议员继续抱团,多轮投票中,一票不投麦卡锡,共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折,除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外,与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面,共和党党内反对者认为,麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱,无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府,另一方面,因为共和党的多数优势微弱,党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大,有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外,党内反对者也认为,自己的选票没有换取更多利益,希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步,比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物,众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任,选举几乎没有悬念。然而,麦卡锡此次为当选,不得不做出多个关键让步,其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制,使得众议长的权力被削弱,难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称,麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步,这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下,党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上,美国两党相互拆台,陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内,也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系,相互对抗,选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举,“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈,长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力,其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病,美国所谓的“民主”形象,让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举,变成了政客们利益置换的游戏,进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能,不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
昔日顾问变竞选对手:博尔顿宣布将参加美国2024大选******
中新网1月9日电 据英国《独立报》当地时间7日报道,美国前国家安全顾问约翰•博尔顿表示将参加2024年美国总统大选,并声称会在共和党党内初选中对抗美国前总统特朗普。
资料图:美国前国家安全顾问约翰·博尔顿。据报道,博尔顿接受ITV《早安英国》节目采访时表示,自己不会以“虚荣候选人”(即明知没有胜选希望,但为了博取名望和关注而参加竞选的人)的身份参选,并称,“如果我认为自己不能认真参加竞选,那我根本就不会参加这场竞赛”。
博尔顿认为,美国如今需要“更强有力的外交政策”,自己有信心拿下共和党总统候选人提名。他曾在上个月表示,如果共和党总统候选人们不否定特朗普,他就准备竞选2024年美国总统。
《纽约邮报》在报道中称,博尔顿非常想阻碍特朗普,特朗普曾称他为“骗子”“笨蛋”“心怀不满的无聊傻瓜”。当被问及对特朗普的看法时,博尔顿表示,“我认为,特朗普在(共和党)党内支持率正在急剧下降”。
据介绍,博尔顿曾在2005年至2006年间担任美国驻联合国大使。2018年至2019年期间曾在特朗普政府任职。但在2019年9月,博尔顿离开政府并声称自己辞职,但特朗普表示博尔顿是被解雇的。离职后,博尔顿经常公开批评特朗普。
近期特朗普在社交媒体上指责“大型科技公司”与民主党人勾结、联手对付他,并呼吁“终止”美国宪法时,博尔顿就评论称,提出宪法问题是一个“反美”概念。
纽黑文大学政治学教授桑德曼表示,博尔顿对特朗普的批评将“有助于”获得非MAGA(让美国再次伟大)共和党人的支持。但他同时表示,共和党内的许多知名人物也对特朗普持批评态度,他认为博尔顿没有机会赢得党内提名。
代顿大学政治学助理教授迪瓦恩表示,博尔顿“在共和党内没有支持基础”,很难获得提名,博尔顿似乎更有可能意在阻止特朗普获得党内提名。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |