中新网评：美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后，美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕，众议院共和党领袖凯文•麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录，将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
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.
新春走基层丨人头攒动的热乎劲又回来了——西北县城市场一线观察****** 新华社兰州1月10日电题:人头攒动的热乎劲又回来了——西北县城消费市场一线观察 新华社记者 春节临近，位于甘肃省临夏回族自治州临夏市枹罕镇的高新花卉特色产业示范园区里暖如三春，园区内的临夏百益亿农国际鲜花港内，3个6万多平方米全自动智能温室里不同品种的玫瑰花争着盛开。采摘、保鲜、剪切、包装各环节上的几百名女工们忙个不停。 地处西北的甘肃省临夏州因光照充足，成为鲜花的优质产地。疫情防控政策优化调整后，各地经济迅速恢复，加上春节临近，对鲜花的需求大增，这个鲜花产业园每天出货20万枝，通过四通八达的物流销往全国各大城市。
在百益亿农国际鲜花港玫瑰工厂内，工人正在采摘玫瑰。（新华社记者周梦蝶 摄） 临近春节，记者在临夏州、陇南市多县城发现，各地复工复产，消费活力迅速恢复。 临夏州百盛商贸有限公司在当地有17家超市，最大的一家营业面积超过一万平方米，位于临夏市中心天元广场。随着人流进入超市，伴着喜庆的新年歌声，随处可见的促销条幅挂满超市的各个货柜，促销手段多种多样，“买200送200”“会员享受双倍积分”“超值低价”……过年的气氛扑面而来。
市民在临夏市百盛超市天元广场店购物。（新华社记者马莎摄） “从2022年的12月18日开始，客流量明显回升。”临夏州百盛商贸有限公司副总经理王莉萍说。 天刚擦黑，临夏市的人文景区“八坊十三巷”被彩灯、霓虹灯装扮成了梦幻之境。景区内摩肩接踵，狭窄处需侧身让行，嬉闹声、谈笑声、朋友相遇的寒暄声、叫卖声汇成一片。 该景区由临夏枫临文化旅游投资有限公司负责运营，董事高若楠说，景区内200家店铺有177家已经恢复营业，从元旦假期开始，景区开辟了多个夜游区域吸引游客。 “景区内人头攒动的热乎劲又回来了。”高若楠说。
这是近日临夏市“八坊十三巷”人文景区夜景。（临夏市融媒体中心供图） 记者在多个西北县城看到，一些档次较高的饭店和农家乐聚集地在饭点车来人往，名气较大的店甚至需要预订或排队，大小酒店也都恢复了七成入住率。 晚上7时左右，陇南市武都区状元楼饭店车位已满，店里一共20桌，有16桌已坐上了客人。饭店负责人田晓燕说，饭店日营业额已由元旦期间的两三千元恢复到了目前的1万元左右，年夜饭也已经订出了18桌。 下午3时许，尽管不是饭点，但在陇南市武都区丰正面道连锁店仍可以看到上座率在50%以上。店员正在给几位顾客热情地介绍着菜单上的美食小吃。这里的菜品主要为面食，后厨内锅气蒸腾，五六位师傅正忙前忙后。饭店总负责人李豪一边和熟客打招呼一边介绍说，目前店内已经恢复了往日的热闹景象，赶上饭点的时候甚至需要排队等待。 临夏市速8酒店大什字店不断有顾客进进出出，店长常永吉说，80间客房已有近50间入住，这一数字在元旦期间更高。 “复苏的情况好于预期。”常永吉介绍，这段时间，外地来住宿的旅客明显增多，这也是依托周边旅游业、餐饮业等逐步恢复所带来的效果。 “目前的经营情况可达到2019年的70%以上。”陇南市金都大酒店的负责人乔玲介绍，一些时段还需排队订房，酒店正摩拳擦掌准备迎接即将到来的春节。 临夏州商务局市场运行和消费促进科副科长陕明敏表示，目前正抓住春节消费旺季，开展让利打折刺激居民消费，促进餐饮住宿行业的复商复市。（记者姜伟超、周梦蝶、胡伟杰、马莎、崔嘉琪） 至尊彩票地图 |
