ESL Podcast 757 - Getting Political Support
constituent - a person who is represented by an elected government official; a person who has the right to vote for a particular candidate or government position
The Senator's constituents are upset that she's spending too much time in Washington, D.C., and not enough time in her home state.
high-power - very powerful, influential, and important
If you want to get that job, you need to dress like the high-power investors who work on Wall Street.
donor - a person who gives money to an organization, cause, or candidate
Public radio stations depend on the financial support of donors.
to sign on - to register to have or do something; to agree to participate in something
How did Meghan persuade you to sign on as the group's president?
to pander - to be very nice to someone or to do whatever someone wants one to do, usually because one wants or needs money or support from that person
Yes, we want to have good publicity, but that doesn't mean we should pander to every reporter who calls.
to rally the troops - to motivate and encourage people to do something; to make people become excited about something
Before every football game, Coach Hendricks gives a motivational speech to rally the troops.
great white hope - a symbol of the good things that could happen in the future, especially when achieving those things seems difficult or challenging
In these difficult economic times, people need a great white hope to show them that there will be more jobs soon.
to run - to participate in elections; to be a candidate in an election; to try to be voted into a particular government job or position
Jim ran for mayor in 2008, but didn't win.
voice of reason - a person presenting rational, logical ideas when everyone else is acting emotionally or irrationally
When the company lost its biggest client, almost everyone began to panic that we'd go out of business, but Hassan was the voice of reason, reminding everyone that we still had other clients.
partisan - having the strong opinions of one political party and being unwilling to consider the other parties' opinions
It was a partisan vote: all the Democrats voted
yes' and all the Republicans votedno.'
bickering - fighting; disagreements; discussions that lasts for a long time when people cannot reach an agreement, especially when their arguments and behavior are childish
Kay and her husband bicker over who should wash the dishes almost every night.
poster boy/girl/child - a person who represents or symbolizes an organization, idea, or cause
Paul's story of recovery is impressive and that's why he's the poster boy for this hospital.
political party - an organization with members who share beliefs about how government should operate and what parts of society it should influence or control, where the members work together to elect people who share those ideas for government jobs and try to pass laws that support those ideas
Trent always votes with his political party, but his brother prefers to analyze the qualifications of each candidate.
to make a difference - to contribute to something in a way that is meaningful and worthwhile
Edgar volunteers to try to make a difference in the lives of low-income children.
to get elected - for a candidate to receive enough votes in an election to get the desired job or position
To get elected, Omar promised to reduce taxes and improve education.
first things first - a phrase used to explain that one must prioritize and focus on the most important things, doing things in order, one at a time
We know you're eager to open your restaurant, but first things first: you need to write up a business plan and apply for a loan.
good old days - a phrase used to refer to the way things used to be done in the past when one remembers them very favorably, probably remembering things as having been nicer or more pleasant than they actually were
In the good old days, people actually had conversations with each other when they went out to eat, instead of texting on their cell phones the entire time.
gerrymandering - the process of drawing lines on a map to define which areas are included for a particular election, so that one party is more likely to win
When they moved the district to the wealthiest parts of town, it was a clear attempt at gerrymandering.
redistricting - the process of drawing lines on a map to define which areas are included as voters for a particular election
Every few years, the state engages in redistricting to make the voting process fairer as people move from the rural areas into the urban areas.