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.
4人已过澳网单打首轮关 中网协球员表现可圈可点******
中网协球员表现可圈可点
本报讯(记者 李远飞)北京时间昨夜，2023年澳网结束了单打正赛首轮的全部比赛。除因手腕伤势退赛的郑赛赛和因天气原因改期出场的张帅外，其余8名已经出赛的中网协球员里，4人闯过了首轮关。虽然战绩胜负各半，但中国姑娘和小伙的表现可圈可点。
去年在法网打入16强、温网和美网晋级32强、澳网闯入第二轮的中国女网新锐郑钦文，在墨尔本公园延续了强势表现，仅用时56分钟，就以6比0和6比2击败了匈牙利球员加尔菲，速胜晋级。加尔菲的单打世界排名是第86位，去年美网也打入了单打第三轮，实力不差。郑钦文能够轻松取胜，与她各方面的充分准备不无干系。“有了更多经验，因为今年不像去年，什么都是第一次。”她赛后说，“最近我的感觉一直都还可以，我也一直在很努力地训练，这一切都是一点一滴积累成的，我对这个结果不意外。希望能够保持水准，下轮看发生什么。”
朱琳以6比2和6比4战胜了加拿大球员马里诺，王欣瑜以7比6(2)、6比4淘汰了东道主球员亨特。两名中国姑娘此前都曾与各自对手有过交锋，按照朱琳的话说：“比分看上去轻松，但比赛过程其实很难。”能够赢下来，经验总结是一方面，更重要的是坚持和自信。“我觉得，今天最重要的一点是做到了坚持到底。”王欣瑜赛后说，“最重要的，还是要相信自己能够做到，无论场上的比分如何，你的状态如何，你的对手是谁。”
商竣程也是如此。这名首次参加大满贯成人组单打正赛的17岁小将，以6比2、6比4、6(2)比7和7比5击败了排名高出自己120位的德国球员奥特，实现了公开赛年代中网协球员澳网男子单打首轮的成绩突破。他透露，比赛中遇到困难时，自己凭借的也是坚持和自信。
张之臻、吴易昺虽然在两场5盘鏖战后遗憾出局，但他们都在场上充分释放了自我，打出了自己想要打的网球。面对“抽击如鞭、发球似炮”的美国球员谢尔顿，张之臻耐心与之周旋，打出了自己的高水准。如果不是决胜盘局分5比4时的那个赛点回球稍稍偏了一点，他就将以胜利者的姿态昂首晋级。虽然最终在残酷的抢十后输球，但张之臻仍然配得上掌声。吴易昺的5盘大战是一场超过4小时的鏖战。在这场比赛里，吴易昺为了增加自己的进攻侵略性，进行了各种大胆尝试，打得不保守，输得不难看。
而1比6和3比6输给前世界第一K·普利斯科娃的王曦雨，和1比6、4比6告负的袁悦，看到了自己与对手的差距，期待在未来继续提升自己。以袁悦为例，首次出战澳网单打正赛，首场就被安排在主场地罗德·拉沃尔球场进行，对手还是赛会女单6号种子、希腊名将萨卡里，袁悦尽管拼尽全力，但紧张和实力差距让她最终败下阵来。她在赛后说：“我是排名百位的球员，她是前十球员，我们之间必然有差距。慢慢来，一点点去追上，这不是一天两天的事儿。人家也是通过很长时间才达到今天的程度的。我也需要通过更多训练和比赛去弥补我们的差距。”
《北京日报》2023年1月18日第12版
