US presidential election: The final push

Why not try following the US election in English? Here?s a chance to practice before the November 6 election day coverage begins.

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Republican challenger Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa just two days before the November 6 election. REUTERS

For an introduction to this year's election and some of the key election vocabulary, click here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/319372/us-election-it-time-to-pay-attention

For background on the "electoral vote" and "swing states", click here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/319487/all-eyes-on-the-swing-states

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Less than ten states will decide White House race

By Stephen Collinson (AFP)

BRISTOW, Virginia — The White House race has narrowed to a fight over less than 10 states ahead of Tuesday's tight election between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. (The nine key states are Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Florida, Virginia, Colorado, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Nevada.) 

Obama's strategy, with two days of campaigning to go, is to solidify his last line of defence in the industrial midwest, and to try to pluck away several insurance states from Romney's target list elsewhere.

The Republican challenger trails the president in polls in many of the battleground states but retains a narrow and plausible path to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

Romney's camp also argues that Romney may not even be behind, arguing that state polls are based on unrealistic assumptions of the size of the Democratic slice of the electorate and underplay Republican enthusiasm.

President Barack Obama and former president Bill Clinton meet up at a rally in Bristow, Virginia. Mr Clinton has been campaigning tirelessly more Mr Obama's re-election. AFP

If Obama wins Ohio, Wisconsin and Iowa, and avoids any upsets on his turf, he is all but certain to become only the second Democrat to win two White House terms since World War II.

Romney spent months trying to tear the president's midwestern "firewall" but was hampered by an Obama advertising blitz hammering him as a wealthy plutocrat who disdains the middle class.

challenger – an opponent in competition, in this case, an election คู่แข่ง
campaign – a planned series of activities designed to persuade voters to vote for a particular candidate or political party การรณรงค์หาสียง
rally – a large public meeting held to support a particular candidate or political party การชุมนุม, ประชุม
narrow – limited in numbers; very close แคบ, มิดชิด, ทัดเทียมกัน,พอ ๆ กัน
tight – very close in score ที่มีคู่แข่งที่มีความสามารถใกล้เคียงกัน
key – most important  ที่สำคัญ
strategy – a plan or method for achieving something, especially over a long period of time ยุทธวิธี, แผนการ  
solidify – to become or to make something become more definite and less likely to change ทำให้มั่นคงแข็งแรง, ทำให้แข็งตัว
defence – protecting somebody/something from damage, attack, etc.  การป้องกัน, การต้าน, การพิทักษ์
industrial – relating to industry  เกี่ยวกับอุตสาหกรรม
pluck away – to take something away suddenly or quickly นำออกมาจาก
insurance state – (in an election) a US state that a presidential candidate tries to win in case he/she unexpectedly loses another state
target – something that you want to achieve เป้าหมาย
elsewhere – another place or other places ที่อื่น
trail – to be behind some in a competition ตาม
poll – an occasion when a lot of people are asked about what they feel about something – การสำรวจความคิดเห็น
battleground – a place where a battle (a major fight, especially in war, but in this case in an election) is being fought or has been fought สนามรบ, แนวรบ
retain – to keep รักษา
plausible – reasonable and likely/possible to be true น่ามีเหตุผล
argue – to give reasons why you think that something is right/wrong, true/not true, etc, especially to persuade people that you are right ห้เหตุผล, อ้างเหตุผล
unrealistic – based on hopes or wishes, and not on what is likely or possible ดูไม่สมจริง, ไม่เป็นความจริง
assumption – something that you consider likely to be true even though you have no proof ข้อสันนิษฐาน
slice – a part or portion of something ส่วนแบ่ง
electorate – all the people in a country or area who are allowed to vote ผู้ที่มีสิทธิเลือกตั้งทั้งหมดในท้องที่หรือเขตหนึ่งๆ
underplay – to think that something is less important  or serious than it really is ประเมินต่ำ
enthusiasm – the feeling of being very interested in something or excited by it ความกระตือรือร้น
avoid – to try to prevent something from happening หลีกเลี่ยง
upset – an unexpected loss การพลิกล็อก
turf – a place or area that someone thinks of as being their own เขต ฐาน
all but certain – almost completely sure
term – a period of time a politician, government or other official holds their job ช่วงเวลาการดำรงตำแหน่งหรืออำนาจ
tear – to pull something so that it separates into pieces or gets a hole in it, or to become damaged in this way  ฉีก
firewall – a wall built to stop a fire from spreading from one area of a building to another area ด่านกันบุกรุก, ไฟร์วอลล์
hamper – to stop someone or something from making progress or developing; to hinder ขัดขวาง, เป็นอุปสรรค
advertising – telling the public about a product or a service, political candidate, etc. in order to encourage people to buy, use or support it การโฆษณา
blitz – a sudden attack; a special effort to finish a job or to deal with a problem quickly and thoroughly การรบแบบสายฟ้าแลบ, ความพยายามอย่างมุ่งมั่นที่จะทำบางสิ่งให้สำเร็จ
hammer – to criticise someone or something severely โจมตี, วิจารณ์
plutocrat – a person who is powerful because of their wealth  ผู้มีอำนาจเพราะร่ำรวย
disdain – to have the feeling that somebody/something is not good enough to deserve your respect or attention ดูถูกเหยียดหยาม