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.
海外华媒聚焦中共二十大：为世界读懂新时代中国增添注脚****** (中共二十大·声音)海外华媒聚焦中共二十大：为世界读懂新时代中国增添注脚 中新社北京10月18日电 题：海外华媒聚焦中共二十大：为世界读懂新时代中国增添注脚 作者 金旭 徐文欣 中国进入“二十大时间”。在会场内外，活跃着海外华文媒体的身影，他们见证中国发展的重要时刻，认真践行华媒人担当，全力以赴让世界看到新时代的中国。 凝“新”聚力传侨音 现场报道中共二十大，加拿大共生国际传媒社长胡宪感叹每天都充满新鲜感。 在筹备报道初期，胡宪特意对居住在蒙特利尔的读者进行了调查。“我们带着海外民众和侨胞的关注‘有备而来’，会以实事求是的态度报道中国全貌，回应侨胞关切，解答侨胞疑惑。” 全国832个贫困县全部摘帽、近1亿农村贫困人口实现脱贫、国内生产总值增长到114万亿元人民币……这些密密麻麻的数字被胡宪记在随身携带的本子上。“中国共产党带领中国人民完成了从贫穷到小康的跨越，向着民族复兴前进的步伐坚定且从容，这些具体详实的事例是中国故事最充实的范本。”她说。  10月16日，中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会在北京人民大会堂隆重开幕。 中新社记者 盛佳鹏 摄携手同行赴盛会 罗马尼亚《欧洲侨报》社长高进向记者展示了境外媒体记者采访申请系统，他说：“5年前我全程参与中共十九大的报道，如今这种熟悉感又回来了。新闻中心对时间的精准把握为媒体省去很多等待时间，各个环节无缝衔接，为中外记者采访提供了便捷的服务。” 《欧洲侨报》及相关网站计划发布逾百篇大会报道。高进称，“不管是前方记者，还是后方编辑，大家都希望抢抓热点，第一时间把二十大报告中的亮点、重点呈现给心系祖(籍)国的华侨华人。” “在大会开始前，我们推出《迎接“二十大”，圣彼得堡中国留学生有话说》等预热稿件。”俄罗斯《龙报》社长李双杰深感，中国年轻一代对中共二十大的关注表明他们早已将深厚的家国情怀融入个人的远大理想与抱负之中。“第二个百年发展目标如何实现？国家统一如何推进？更加鲜活生动的中国形象如何展现？这些都是海外侨胞尤其是新生代最关心的话题。” 5年后再次近距离报道中共党代会，李双杰相信，所有人都得到了期盼已久的答案：中国发展未来可期。 此次参会，意大利《欧华联合时报》社长吴敏聚焦中国对外开放方面的积极举措。他表示，中国加大对外开放的力度和决心能给海外侨胞带来更多的发展空间与合作机遇。 “云”上添花同参与 一些未能到达现场的海外华文媒体开启“云报道”模式，积极向世界传递中国声音。 瑞士欧亚时报社社长朱爱莲告诉记者，“云参会”能充分发挥融媒体报道的优势。“我们成立了中共二十大专题工作组，目前正邀请知名欧洲专家学者解读二十大报告，力求多角度、全方位深度聚焦中国智慧和中国方案对世界的启发和贡献。” “随着中国影响力的提升，越来越多的国家想要读懂中国。”朱爱莲表示，回顾过去十年的奋进历程，中国的发展成就令人印象深刻，中国治理经验值得借鉴，中共二十大的召开无疑让世界对中国的高质量发展更有信心。(完)
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