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沃爾茲為賀錦麗撐場的演說 / Timothy Walz's Speech Supporting Kamala Harris
文章
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上文提到，美國總統候選人賀錦麗和副總統候選人沃爾茲在美國民主黨全國代表大會的演說先後講述了各自的個人故事，除此以外，沃爾茲演說的大部分內容都是力撐賀錦麗。
賀錦麗為什麼會選擇沃爾茲作副手？一是沃爾茲的中西部白人身分，而且他是明尼蘇達州州長，某程度上他比賀錦麗更易為美國人接受。中西部的威斯康辛州在U.S. News 的2024 年最佳州排名中名列第17 位，擁有10 張選舉人票。2016 年美國總統大選中，威斯康辛州把票投給前總統特朗普，後於2020 年的大選投給總統拜登。相信有沃爾茲坐鎮，威斯康辛州可以在2024 年美國大選向賀錦麗交出10 張選舉人票。
沃爾茲的演說對自己的政績輕描淡寫，當中只提到自己連任6 屆美國眾議院議員，然後去選州長。他說出任明尼蘇達州州長時，要確保所有公立學校的學生都能吃到早餐和午餐，成功消除飢餓。服務的對象是他們的鄰居，而且致力為中產減稅。
值得注意的是，沃爾茲談及和妻子經歷不孕不育，最終通過人工受孕方式誕下兒子，並強調保障生育權利的重要性，表明支持使用生殖科技及「試管嬰兒」（In Vitro Fertilisation）生兒育女。他亦主張民主黨支持自由及平等。
至於為賀錦麗撐場的內容，他提到賀錦麗從當檢察官、地區檢察官、州檢察長、美國參議員，到成為美國的副總統，都一直站在美國人民的一邊，在當檢察官時亦成功檢控很多嚴重刑事犯。他特別強調：「無論你是誰，賀錦麗都會站出來，為你的自由而戰，讓你過上你想要的生活，因為這是我們自己想要的，也是我們鄰居想要的自由與生活。」他指賀錦麗會大力打擊大藥廠，讓國民負擔得起醫生處方的藥物。沃爾茲亦提到賀錦麗會以大家的利益為前提，服務市民如鄰居。
沃爾茲的演說為美國總統大選滲入美國中西部普通老百姓的尋常氣息，至於能否發揮「為賀錦麗吸票」的效果，則要拭目以待。
Timothy Walz's Speech Supporting Kamala Harris
As mentioned earlier, the United States presidential candidate Kamala Harris and vice-presidential candidate Timothy Walz delivered speeches at the Democratic National Convention, where they each shared their personal stories. In addition, Timothy Walz's speech mainly focused on supporting Harris.
Why did Kamala Harris choose Timothy Walz as her running mate? First, Timothy Walz's identity as a white person from the Midwest, and being the Governor of Minnesota, to some extent, makes him more acceptable to Americans than Harris. Wisconsin, a Midwestern state ranked 17th in the 2024 U.S. News Best States ranking, holds 10 electoral votes. In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Wisconsin voted for former President Trump, then in 2020, for President Biden. With Timothy Walz in the picture, it is believed that Wisconsin could hand over its 10 electoral votes to Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. election.
In his speech, Timothy Walz modestly mentioned his political achievements, stating that he served six terms as a U.S. House of Representatives member before running for governor. He emphasized that during his tenure as Governor of Minnesota, he ensured that all public school students received breakfast and lunch, successfully eradicating hunger. He served his neighbors and committed to reducing taxes for the middle class.
Notably, Timothy Walz shared his and his wife's struggles with infertility, eventually having a son through artificial insemination, emphasizing the importance of reproductive rights and supporting the use of reproductive technologies such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). He also advocated for freedom and equality within the Democratic Party.
Regarding his support for Kamala Harris, Timothy Walz highlighted Harris's journey from being a prosecutor, district attorney, state attorney general, U.S. senator, to becoming the Vice President of the United States. He emphasized that Harris always stood by the American people, successfully prosecuting many serious criminals during her time as a prosecutor. He particularly stressed, "No matter who you are, Kamala Harris will stand up for your freedom, enabling you to live the life you want because that's what we want for ourselves and our neighbors." He mentioned that Harris would vigorously combat big pharmaceutical companies, making prescription drugs affordable for the nation. Timothy Walz also noted that Harris would prioritize the interests of everyone and serve the citizens as neighbors.
Timothy Walz's speech injected a sense of commonality with ordinary people from the Midwest into the U.S. presidential election. Whether it will effectively "rally votes for Kamala Harris" remains to be seen.
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距離美國大選還有約60 天，目前民調數據顯示共和黨特朗普稍為落後賀錦麗。以特朗普一貫的風格，9 月10 日由美國廣播公司（ABC）主辦的電視辯論將會是他扳回一局的擂台，估計兩黨的外交政策會是辯論的重點之一。
一直以來，共和黨政客在外交政策上爭論不休，我認為要由美國「門羅主義」（Monroe Doctrine）的歷史背景說起。自18 世紀以來，「門羅主義」由美國第五任總統、共和黨的主要領導之一詹姆斯．門羅提出，並成為美國外交政策的基礎，所指的是美國不干預當時的歐洲殖民地、不參與歐洲國家內部事務；但若歐洲國家進一步對北美或南美的土地建立殖民地或干預政權，則會視為對美國國安威脅的侵略行為，美國政府會介入。例如在第一次世界大戰期間，美國首次有船隻被德軍擊沉便成為美國參戰導火線。
再者，「門羅主義」是孤立主義的體現，認為美國若要維持霸權地位，便要獨善其身。這主張反映在共和黨的外交政策上。根據《新聞周刊》（Newsweek），假設特朗普能回朝，共和黨將會有幾位在外交議題上很有影響力的政客加入內閣。在外交議題上，共和黨現有三種主張，以「優先派」為例，以凡事都有優先秩序的宗旨，反對美國參與全球化。比方說，在對華議題上，「優先派」認為中國強大，所以應先集中抗衡中國。相較而言，援助烏克蘭沒那麼重要。持這種思想的多為Generation X（於1965 至1980年出生） 和Generation Y（ 於1981 至1996 年出生）人士，如現時44 歲的共和黨密蘇里州的聯邦參議員Josh Hawley，他認為美國人民將會承受全球化主義外交政策之苦；而想要全球干預的人士多為boomers（於1946至1954年出生）人士。
相對而言，民主黨的外交路線較為統一，內部爭拗較少，例如在俄烏戰爭上，民主黨支持烏克蘭對抗俄國，亦支持向以色列繼續輸送軍火來對付哈馬斯。因此，賀錦麗在辯論時可能會攻擊特朗普共和黨的外交路線搖擺不定。
The Foreign Policy of the Republican Party of the United States
With about 60 days left until the U.S. election, current polls show that the Republican Party's Trump is slightly behind Kamala Harris. In Trump's consistent style, the televised debate hosted by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on September 10 is expected to be his stage to turn the tables. It is estimated that the foreign policies of the two parties will be one of the key points of the debate.
Throughout, Republican politicians have been debating foreign policy. I believe we should start with the historical background of the Monroe Doctrine in the United States. Since the 18th century, the Monroe Doctrine, proposed by James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States and a key leader of the Republican Party, has become the foundation of U.S. foreign policy. It states that the United States will not interfere in the European colonies at the time and will not get involved in the internal affairs of European countries. However, if European countries further establish colonies or interfere with territories in North or South America, it will be seen as a threat to U.S. national security, and the U.S. government will intervene. For example, during World War I, the sinking of American ships by the German Navy became a catalyst for U.S. involvement.
Furthermore, the Monroe Doctrine embodies isolationism, believing that for the United States to maintain its dominant position, it must look out for itself. This assertion is reflected in the Republican Party's foreign policy. According to Newsweek, assuming Trump can return to power, several influential politicians in the Republican Party will join the cabinet on foreign policy issues. Within foreign policy, the Republican Party currently has three main positions. Taking the 'Priority Faction' as an example, which prioritizes everything in a specific order and opposes U.S. participation in globalization. For instance, on issues concerning China, the 'Priority Faction' believes that since China is powerful, the focus should be on countering China first, while assistance to Ukraine is less critical. Those who hold this ideology are mostly Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) and Generation Y (born between 1981 and 1996) individuals, like the current 44-year-old Republican Senator from Missouri, Josh Hawley. He believes that the American people will suffer under globalist foreign policies. Individuals who support global intervention are mostly baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1954).
In contrast, the Democratic Party's foreign policy is more unified with less internal strife. For example, in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Democratic Party supports Ukraine against Russia and also supports continuing to supply arms to Israel to combat Hamas. Therefore, Kamala Harris may attack Trump and the Republican Party for their inconsistent foreign policy during the debate.
截至8月27日，美國總統候選人賀錦麗的競選網站上仍然沒有具體政綱，她的許多倡議都是在演說或回答媒體提問時提出的。在美國民主黨全國代表大會上，她便在演說中提到關於婦女墮胎和生殖權利、槍支管理、投票權、移民改革、社會保障及降低醫療費用等議題。
美媒普遍認為賀錦麗沒有提出什麼實際政策主張，對好些議題立場模糊。早前，賀錦麗和競選拍檔沃爾茲一起接受美國有線電視新聞網絡（CNN）主播巴什（Dana Bash）專訪時，提到自己經濟政策的重點是提振經濟：「最重要的優先要務之一，是盡力支持中產家庭。」她說會強化中產階層，為他們創造就業機會。她承諾會減稅，遏抑通脹；將建造大量可負擔住房，並會為專門興建首置房屋的發展商提供稅務優惠。賀錦麗承諾禁止食品價格暴利行為，阻止大企業為追求利潤「賺到盡」而不公平地剝削消費者，她聲稱將嚴懲這些企業。此外，她承諾當選後會向新生嬰兒父母提供高達6000美元稅務減免，減輕有孩子的家庭經濟負擔。沃爾茲則補充說，他擔任州長的明尼蘇達州，已在2023年推動育兒稅收減免政策。
除此之外，賀錦麗在訪問時澄清了她對非法入境移民政策的含糊性，她表示如果當選，將推動邊境安全法案並簽署成法，以收緊進入美國的移民人數。至於外交政策，賀錦麗強調自己和特朗普不同，她不會改變向以色列提供武器的政策。
另一點值得留意的是，賀錦麗在美國民主黨全國代表大會上並沒炒作中國議題，只是輕輕帶過「在太空和人工智能領域引領世界走進未來，確保是美國而不是中國將贏得21世紀的競爭」。她在上述CNN訪問中亦沒提及對華立場，她的對華態度如何，將怎樣影響中美關係，仍有待觀察。
Kamala Harris' Presidential Policy Agenda / 賀錦麗的總統政綱
As of August 27, on the campaign website of U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris, there is still no specific policy agenda listed. Many of her initiatives have been raised during speeches or in response to media inquiries. During the Democratic National Convention, she addressed issues such as women's abortion and reproductive rights, gun control, voting rights, immigration reform, social security, and reducing medical costs.
The U.S. media generally believes that Kamala Harris has not put forth concrete policy proposals and her stance on many issues remains unclear. Earlier, during an interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash, Kamala Harris, along with her running mate Walz, mentioned that the focus of her economic policy is to boost the economy: "One of the most important priorities is to support middle-class families to the best of our ability." She stated that she would strengthen the middle class and create job opportunities for them. She promised tax cuts to curb inflation, construct a significant number of affordable housing units, and provide tax incentives for developers specializing in building first-time homes. Kamala Harris pledged to prohibit price gouging in the food industry and prevent large corporations from unfairly exploiting consumers for profit maximization, vowing to punish these companies severely. Additionally, she promised to provide up to $6,000 in tax relief to parents of newborn babies to alleviate the financial burden on families with children. Walz added that as the Governor of Minnesota, the state had already implemented a childcare tax relief policy in 2023.
Furthermore, Kamala Harris clarified her vague stance on illegal immigration policy during an interview, stating that if elected, she would push for border security legislation and sign it into law to tighten the number of immigrants entering the U.S. Regarding foreign policy, Kamala Harris emphasized her differences with Trump, stating that she would not alter the policy of providing weapons to Israel.
Another point of note is that during the Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris did not heavily emphasize China-related issues, only briefly mentioning that "leading the world into the future in space and artificial intelligence, ensuring that it is the United States and not China that will win the competition of the 21st century." She also did not discuss her stance towards China in the aforementioned CNN interview, leaving observers to wait and see how her approach to China and its impact on U.S.-China relations will unfold.
上文提到，美國總統候選人賀錦麗和副總統候選人沃爾茲在美國民主黨全國代表大會的演說先後講述了各自的個人故事，除此以外，沃爾茲演說的大部分內容都是力撐賀錦麗。
賀錦麗為什麼會選擇沃爾茲作副手？一是沃爾茲的中西部白人身分，而且他是明尼蘇達州州長，某程度上他比賀錦麗更易為美國人接受。中西部的威斯康辛州在U.S. News 的2024 年最佳州排名中名列第17 位，擁有10 張選舉人票。2016 年美國總統大選中，威斯康辛州把票投給前總統特朗普，後於2020 年的大選投給總統拜登。相信有沃爾茲坐鎮，威斯康辛州可以在2024 年美國大選向賀錦麗交出10 張選舉人票。
沃爾茲的演說對自己的政績輕描淡寫，當中只提到自己連任6 屆美國眾議院議員，然後去選州長。他說出任明尼蘇達州州長時，要確保所有公立學校的學生都能吃到早餐和午餐，成功消除飢餓。服務的對象是他們的鄰居，而且致力為中產減稅。
值得注意的是，沃爾茲談及和妻子經歷不孕不育，最終通過人工受孕方式誕下兒子，並強調保障生育權利的重要性，表明支持使用生殖科技及「試管嬰兒」（In Vitro Fertilisation）生兒育女。他亦主張民主黨支持自由及平等。
至於為賀錦麗撐場的內容，他提到賀錦麗從當檢察官、地區檢察官、州檢察長、美國參議員，到成為美國的副總統，都一直站在美國人民的一邊，在當檢察官時亦成功檢控很多嚴重刑事犯。他特別強調：「無論你是誰，賀錦麗都會站出來，為你的自由而戰，讓你過上你想要的生活，因為這是我們自己想要的，也是我們鄰居想要的自由與生活。」他指賀錦麗會大力打擊大藥廠，讓國民負擔得起醫生處方的藥物。沃爾茲亦提到賀錦麗會以大家的利益為前提，服務市民如鄰居。
沃爾茲的演說為美國總統大選滲入美國中西部普通老百姓的尋常氣息，至於能否發揮「為賀錦麗吸票」的效果，則要拭目以待。
Timothy Walz's Speech Supporting Kamala Harris
As mentioned earlier, the United States presidential candidate Kamala Harris and vice-presidential candidate Timothy Walz delivered speeches at the Democratic National Convention, where they each shared their personal stories. In addition, Timothy Walz's speech mainly focused on supporting Harris.
Why did Kamala Harris choose Timothy Walz as her running mate? First, Timothy Walz's identity as a white person from the Midwest, and being the Governor of Minnesota, to some extent, makes him more acceptable to Americans than Harris. Wisconsin, a Midwestern state ranked 17th in the 2024 U.S. News Best States ranking, holds 10 electoral votes. In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Wisconsin voted for former President Trump, then in 2020, for President Biden. With Timothy Walz in the picture, it is believed that Wisconsin could hand over its 10 electoral votes to Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. election.
In his speech, Timothy Walz modestly mentioned his political achievements, stating that he served six terms as a U.S. House of Representatives member before running for governor. He emphasized that during his tenure as Governor of Minnesota, he ensured that all public school students received breakfast and lunch, successfully eradicating hunger. He served his neighbors and committed to reducing taxes for the middle class.
Notably, Timothy Walz shared his and his wife's struggles with infertility, eventually having a son through artificial insemination, emphasizing the importance of reproductive rights and supporting the use of reproductive technologies such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). He also advocated for freedom and equality within the Democratic Party.
Regarding his support for Kamala Harris, Timothy Walz highlighted Harris's journey from being a prosecutor, district attorney, state attorney general, U.S. senator, to becoming the Vice President of the United States. He emphasized that Harris always stood by the American people, successfully prosecuting many serious criminals during her time as a prosecutor. He particularly stressed, "No matter who you are, Kamala Harris will stand up for your freedom, enabling you to live the life you want because that's what we want for ourselves and our neighbors." He mentioned that Harris would vigorously combat big pharmaceutical companies, making prescription drugs affordable for the nation. Timothy Walz also noted that Harris would prioritize the interests of everyone and serve the citizens as neighbors.
Timothy Walz's speech injected a sense of commonality with ordinary people from the Midwest into the U.S. presidential election. Whether it will effectively "rally votes for Kamala Harris" remains to be seen.