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.
避重就轻遮遮掩掩,推卸责任毫不含糊,民进党败选检讨没提蔡英文******
【环球时报特约记者 陈立非】民进党“九合一”败选检讨报告终于出炉,罗列了疫情、通胀、论文案、“黑金”以及“抗中保台”失灵等败选原因,认为民进党在青年与中间选票上的流失是这次地方选举挫败的主要原因。但报告通篇没有提蔡英文和台“行政院长”苏贞昌,被批根本就是避重就轻。
“抗中保台”牌失效归咎俄乌
民进党败选检讨报告共10549字,摘要版3843字。据台湾《联合报》29日报道,检讨小组召集人郑文灿称,在疫情方面,内需型中小企业、观光旅宿业、一般商家受冲击最大,当局通过纾困振兴方案在前两年虽发挥作用,但第三年的补助金额及适用对象是否忽略最基层产业、商家需求及民众感受,可能成为纾困振兴成效未能彰显的主因。与此同时,购买境外疫苗、自产疫苗、疫苗分配等议题也成为在野党抨击重点,无形中让民众结合生活经验,从疫苗攻防的混乱情况获得较多对民进党不利的信息,进而影响选战。关于“抗中保台”牌失效,郑文灿归咎于俄乌冲突,称台湾民众对安全关注度提高,引发兵役期是否改变的热烈讨论,难免会让在野党顺着“抗中保台”口号负面操作,制造“票投民进党,青年上战场”的恐惧,且俄乌冲突造成国际通胀,影响到人民生活感受。他还声称,选战过程中“黑金”议题扭曲了民众对民进党的印象,也冲击选情。
值得关注的是,前新竹市长林智坚的论文抄袭事件,蔡英文要全党力挺,但检讨报告根本未出现“蔡英文”3个字或“党主席”字眼以及她须负的责任。郑文灿对此未回答,仅表示检讨报告中已把这些诚信问题等标示清楚,包括采取立场有哪些不足及停损点设定、对选票造成影响等。林智坚28日晚在脸书发文称,败选检讨报告中他是唯一被具名提及的人,他愿意承担责任,也再次向民众与支持者“表示最深切的歉意”。
“抓一些稻草人来打”
“绿营败选检讨报告笑死人”,国民党“立委”赖士葆29日称,这份报告没有诚挚究责,甚至还检讨起了在野党,变成一篇不痛不痒的剖析报告,完全不见政治责任,也不敢碰触蔡苏。他嘲讽说,报告“抓一些稻草人来打”,简直是今年年终最大的政治笑话。国民党文传会副主委林家兴表示,民进党败选至今行政部门竟然仍未改组、苏贞昌仍未下台,令人感受不到其反省的决心。民众党“立法院”党团总召集人邱臣远直言,这份败选检讨报告避重就轻,并未深入探究原因且反省,像是给民进党支持者和同温层看的。
就连绿营内部也不认同。民进党“立委”何志伟29日称,这份检讨报告只是走个形式,民进党应该思考未来要做些什么,未来的展望是什么。民进党前副秘书长、“台湾民意基金会”董事长游盈隆称,从蔡英文时隔745天才允许记者提问,在回应要不要为处理林智坚“论文门”道歉时大打太极就看得出来,她根本无意检讨,更别说道歉了,“民进党真能写出像样的败选检讨报告才怪”。
民进党前“立委”沈富雄29日直言,若他是审查者,这份报告他会直接退回,不打分数,因为“党团、媒体、侧翼,都没点名”,也不敢动蔡苏。他更形象地以“验尸报告”的方式,分析这份败选报告。沈富雄说,败选的民进党就像一具尸体,郑文灿是要厘清“死因”的病理科医师,“解剖死者”后所写的验尸报告就是这份检讨报告。结果报告发现,“死因”是跌倒造成的大腿骨骨折没接好,“死者”自己也没注意,最后引发并发症去世,却没有追究医院救治的责任以及为何在这么多人中偏偏是“死者”出意外。
蔡英文难辞其咎
不少岛内网民大骂“完全不提全党挺抄袭,检讨个鬼……这报告一点用都没有”,还有人说,“不敢检讨蔡英文,这份报告就是废文一篇”。
《联合报》29日称,“九合一”惨败一个月后,民进党检讨报告出炉,虽然点出“黑金”问题严重,却不见党内哪些人是其中代表,列出“论文门”是败选主因之一,却对于党内最高层级、被舆论视为罪魁祸首的蔡英文和苏贞昌的责任只字未提,“如此自缚手脚的检讨报告,真的切中要点了吗?”文章称,蔡英文虽然在开票当天辞去党主席,但她的责任岂可随辞职而一干二净?更遑论苏贞昌至今留任,到底为无感施政负了什么责,对忽视民众感受负什么责?民进党若在大败之后仍执意捍卫蔡英文,恐怕写再多检讨报告也难拾民心。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)