Daily English 1230 Expressing Disapproval of Elected Officials

Dialogue/Story

Slow Speed begins at: 1:34
Explanation begins at: 4:01
Normal Speed begins at: 19:32

Complete Transcript

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,230 – Expressing Disapproval of Elected Officials.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,230. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

This episode is a dialogue between Donald and Hilary about not liking the people who are elected to government positions. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Hilary: Which candidate are you going to vote for in the upcoming election?

Donald: Neither one. I’m not voting.

Hilary: What? You have to vote. Don’t you want to make your voice heard?

Donald: Neither candidate represents my views. They each have their own political agendas that reflect the concerns of the elite, not people like you and me.

Hilary: To me, voter apathy is the real problem. Things won’t change if we don’t vote.

Donald: You’re not listening. Both candidates are in the pockets of special interest groups and only care about pork-barrel politics. They’re not really concerned about the everyday challenges that you and I face.

Hilary: That’s not true. Look at the platforms of each candidate. They each stand for different things.

Donald: That’s just lip service. They’ll say whatever matches public opinion to get elected. No matter who gets into office, things will stay the same for regular folks like you and me.

Hilary: So you’re really not going to vote?

Donald: Nope.

Hilary: What do you hope to achieve?

Donald: Consider it a silent protest by the disaffected.

[end of dialogue]

Hilary begins by asking Donald, “Which candidate are you going to vote for in the upcoming election?” A “candidate” (candidate) is a person who is trying to get elected to a certain position, often a position in government, such as president or governor or senator. Hilary is asking Donald which candidate he’s going to “vote” (vote) for. “To vote” means to indicate which person you want to win an election or which position you are taking on some matter that you are being asked to vote on.

We normally vote for people, but in some states such as California, there are laws that you also vote on directly. Most of our laws are voted on, or voted for, by our representatives. We vote for people who then vote for laws, but in some cases, we vote directly on certain laws. Hilary is talking about candidates for whom Donald might vote in the “upcoming,” or soon-to-take-place, “election.” An “election” (election) is a period when people vote.

Elections typically take place on one day, although that isn’t always true. Sometimes you will have voting taking place over a couple of different days. More commonly now, people can vote by mail. So, you can start voting even before the day of the election, when people actually go to a place in their neighborhood and vote. Just by coincidence – just by chance – I’m recording this today, which is an Election Day in California, but I’m not going to vote today because I voted by mail last week. I sent in my “ballot” (ballot). Your “ballot” is the piece of paper you use to vote.

Donald says, “Neither one. I’m not voting,” meaning he’s not going to vote for either of the two candidates who are, we would say, “running for office” – trying to get elected. In the U.S., there are two large important political parties – the Democrats and the Republicans. In most elections, there are two candidates – a Democrat and a Republican. That isn’t always true, but it’s often true.

Hilary says, “What? You have to vote.” Donald says he’s not going to vote and Hilary says he has to vote. She says, “Don’t you want to make your voice heard?” The expression “to make your voice (voice) heard” means to give your opinion in a way that makes other people know what you think. Donald says, however, “Neither candidate represents my views.” “To represent” here means to have the same opinions that you have. Donald continues, “These two candidates each have their own political agendas that reflect the concerns of the elite, not people like you and me.”

A “political agenda” (agenda) is a list or a set of ideas that you believe in, especially if you are someone in government. It’s a list of things or a set of beliefs that you want to put into place or put into action. “To reflect” here means the same as “to represent.” “To reflect” (reflect) means to be very similar to, in this case, your ideas, but Donald says that these candidates don’t represent his ideas or his concerns, but rather the concerns or the things that are important to the “elite” (elite). “The elite” refers to the people in a society who have the most money and the most power.

Hilary says, “To me, voter apathy is the real problem. Things won’t change if we don’t vote.” “Apathy” (apathy) means a lack of interest or not being very enthusiastic or interested in doing something or participating in something. “Voter apathy” refers to the fact that some people don’t want to vote or are simply not interested in voting. Some people think this is bad – Hilary, for example. I’m not so sure.

You may not be interested in voting because you think everything is going fine in the world, or you may not be interested in voting because you don’t think voting will make a difference. Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes it isn’t. I don’t know of any evidence that shows that the more people vote, the better government we get. Maybe if you aren’t interested in voting, it’s because you haven’t been educating yourself and therefore don’t feel you should vote, which in my opinion is a good reason not to vote. But many people disagree with me, including Hilary.

Hilary says, “Things won’t change if we don’t vote.” Donald says, “You’re not listening. Both candidates are in the pockets of special interest groups and only care about pork-barrel politics.” The expression “to be in the pockets” (pockets) of someone means you are being influenced or controlled by another person or group, probably because that person is giving you money. “Special interest groups” are organizations that try to influence government – groups that try to get their ideas adopted or put into action by the government.

The term “pork (pork) – barrel (barrel) politics,” sometimes spelled without the hyphen between “pork” and “barrel,” refers to using money to make a certain group of voters happy in order to get those voters to vote for a certain party or a certain person. So, for example, if I’m a politician who has been elected to a government position, I might give money to certain groups or to certain people so that those people will vote for me in the future. Yes, this really happens all over the world, and probably in all periods of history.

Donald is complaining that these candidates only care about “pork-barrel politics,” meaning they don’t care about everyone, just about certain voters whom they’re trying to influence by giving them money. Of course, you can’t give voters money directly in exchange for them voting for you. You do it in other ways. Donald says the candidates “are not really concerned about the everyday challenges,” the day-to-day problems that people like Donald and Hilary face.

Hilary says, “That’s not true. Look at the platforms of each candidate.” A “platform” (platform), in the world of politics, refers to a list of positions or ideas that a certain candidate or political party believes in or stands for. In the U.S., every four years the two major political parties sit down and write their “platform” – the ideas that they believe in or the laws that they want to pass or get rid of. Hilary says that each candidate stands for different things. “To stand for” means to believe in, to take a position for or against a certain policy or idea.

Donald, however, disagrees. He says, “That’s just lip (lip) service.” “Lip service” is a phrase we use to describe support or belief in something that isn’t really sincere or that doesn’t represent any sort of action. Someone can say they’re for the environment, or they’re for doing something about the economy, but they don’t actually do anything. To say something – that you believe in something – but not to do anything about it is an example of “lip service,” or “giving lip service,” we might also say.

Donald says, “These candidates say whatever matches public opinion to get elected.” “Public opinion” refers to what people believe, what the majority of people believe. Donald says, “No matter who gets into office,” meaning it doesn’t matter who gets elected, “things will stay the same for regular folks like you and me.” “Regular folks” (folks) means normal people, ordinary people, people like you and I. “No matter who gets into office,” Donald says, “things will stay the same,” meaning things won’t change,
“for regular folks.”

Hilary then asks, “So you’re really not going to vote?” Donald responds, “Nope” (nope). “Nope” means no. It’s an informal way of saying no. Hilary says, “What do you hope to achieve?” meaning “What are you trying to accomplish by not voting?” Donald says, “Consider it a silent protest by the disaffected.” A “protest” (protest) is some action that shows your disapproval or disappointment in someone or something. A “silent protest” would be not speaking or not doing something as a way of showing you are in disagreement about something with another person or group.

“Disaffected” (disaffected) is an adjective used to describe people who are not happy about the people who are in power, such as politicians, and don’t want to support them in any way. People who are “disaffected” may be people who don’t vote, for example, because they are angry at everyone who is part of the political process. Please note that the names used in this dialogue do not represent any real people, especially not candidates for the presidency of the United States.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Hilary: Which candidate are you going to vote for in the upcoming election?

Donald: Neither one. I’m not voting.

Hilary: What? You have to vote. Don’t you want to make your voice heard?

Donald: Neither candidate represents my views. They each have their own political agendas that reflect the concerns of the elite, not people like you and me.

Hilary: To me, voter apathy is the real problem. Things won’t change if we don’t vote.

Hilary: That’s not true. Look at the platforms of each candidate. They each stand for different things.

Donald: That’s just lip service. They’ll say whatever matches public opinion to get elected. No matter who gets into office, things will stay the same for regular folks like you and me.

Hilary: So you’re really not going to vote?

Donald: Nope.

Hilary: What do you hope to achieve?

Donald: Consider it a silent protest by the disaffected.

[end of dialogue]

If there were an election for the best scriptwriter on the internet, I’m quite sure the winner would be the one, the only, Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

Glossary

candidate – a person who is running for office; a person who wants to have a particular job or an elected position in the government

* The residents of Pullman City are choosing among four candidates for mayor.

to vote – to fill out a form that indicates one’s preference for who should be elected or which laws should be made

* The results show that more than 80% of residents voted against Measure 80.

election – an event and period of time when people vote, indicating their preference for who should be elected or which laws should be made

* Only 25% of eligible voters participated in the election last month.

to make (one’s) voice heard – to share one’s opinions or beliefs in a way that makes others aware of them and/or causes others to be influenced by them

* Students are making their voice heard, lobbying for lower tuition.

to represent – to have the same particular characteristics or beliefs as members of a larger group so that one can speak or vote on their behalf

* U.S. senators are supposed to represent everyone in their district.

political agenda – the things that an elected government official wants to do or accomplish during his or her time in office, including the promises made to voters

* Her political agenda includes national security and environmental protection.

to reflect – to present the image or nature of something; to be very similar or identical to something else, and to express that to others

* Choose a college major that reflects your interests in art.

elite – wealthy and privileged; the members of society who have the greatest, most significant advantages

* The elite send their children to expensive private schools.

apathy – a lack of enthusiasm or interest in doing something or participating in something

* What accounts for employee apathy toward providing good customer service?

in the pockets of (someone) – under someone’s influence or control because one has received money from that person or group, or otherwise depends financially on that person or group

* Too many politicians are in the pockets of big oil and energy firms.

special interest group – a group or organization that uses lobbying and fundraising to try to change political outcomes by convincing politicians to propose certain laws or vote a particular way

* Some of the most powerful special interest groups are involved in gun rights, oil drilling, and agricultural subsidies.

pork-barrel – related to the use of federal funds to please a small group of voters in order to get more votes or other support

* These pork-barrel projects cost millions of dollars, but they benefit only a small group of Americans.

platform – the position on important issues and the promises that a candidate is making to voters in order to be elected

* I try to vote for the candidate whose platform most closely matches my beliefs.

to stand for – to take a public position for or against something, so that others know one’s opinions and beliefs about it

* We need everyone in the community to stand for racial equality.

lip service – words that indicate one’s support of something or belief in something, but without accompanying actions, so that the words are simply being said to influence or manipulate others and do not actually represent one’s beliefs

* Do you really believe everything you said, or was that just lip service?

public opinion – the most common ideas and beliefs that represent the majority of a group of people

* He used to be a popular president, but public opinion has changed.

regular folks – ordinary people; regular citizens, not elected politicians, celebrities, business leaders, or wealthy people

* It doesn’t seem fair that some people live in mansions and buy private jets while regular folks barely have enough money to rent an apartment.

silent protest – a way to express one’s disapproval or disappointment by refusing to vote, state one’s opinion, or otherwise participate in something

* The prisoners are organizing a silent protest. They won’t fight against the prison guards, but they won’t speak and they will refuse to follow orders.

disaffected – people who are dissatisfied with the authorities (people in power) and do not want to support them in any way

* The disaffected young people of today are refusing to participate in politics.

Comprehension Questions

1. Who want to be elected?
a) The candidates
b) The elite
c) The disaffected

2. What does Donald mean when he says, “That’s just lip service”?
a) He thinks Carolyn is telling a lie.
b) He doesn’t believe what the candidates are saying.
c) He thinks her comment is very funny.

Answers at bottom.

What Else Does It Mean?

to reflect

The verb “to reflect,” in this podcast, means to present the image or nature of something, or to have the same form and characteristics of something else: “Her colorful, cluttered office reflects her personality.” The verb “to reflect” also means for a mirror or other flat surface to display the image of something above or in front of the surface: “Sean took a great photo of a rainbow as it was reflected on the surface of the lake.” The phrase “to reflect on” means to think about something, carefully consider it, and identify how one feels about it: “When you reflect on your time overseas, what aspect of the culture was most surprising?” Finally, a “reflector” is a piece of plastic or fabric that shines brightly when light hits it: “If you go biking at night, it’s a good idea to have reflectors so that cars can see you more easily.”

regular folks

In this podcast, the phrase “regular folks” means ordinary people or regular citizens: “Most regular folks support raising the minimum wage.” The word “folks” informally refers to one’s parents: “How often do you call your folks?” Or, “I need to clean my apartment before my folks visit next weekend.” The phrase “old folks home” is a casual and disrespectful way to refer to a nursing home, or a place where old people live when they can no longer care for themselves: “Are you going to send Grandma to an old folks home, or will you invite her to live with you?” Finally, “folk songs” refer to old-style songs that are traditional and have been popular among local people for a long time: “They sat around the campfire, singing folk songs while Jimmy played the guitar.”

Culture Note

The Occupy Wall Street Protest Movement

In 2011, the “Occupy Wall Street” “movement” (an initiative to change and improve society) began as people “protested” (objected to) “wealth inequality” (the unfair, uneven distribution of money among people). The protestors “initially” (at the beginning) focused their activities on the “Wall Street” financial district in New York City because it represents the “accumulation” (gathering of a lot of something) of “wealth” (lots of money) among highly “privileged” (with many advantages) individuals, often “at the expense of” (while causing harm to) ordinary Americans.

The “slogan” (a phrase repeated many times) of the Occupy Wall Street movement was “We are the 99%,” which referred to the large difference in income and wealth distribution in the United States—specifically “implying” (causing other people to believe) that the top 1% of the population has approximately the same amount of wealth as the remaining 99% of the population. They believe this is unfair and wrong.

The protesters originally “camped” (slept in tents) and protested in Zuccotti Park in New York City, but they were forced to leave in late 2011. Then the movement quickly “spread” (began to cover a larger area) across the country. People began protesting at banks, large corporations, university “campuses” (the land with many university buildings), “foreclosed homes” (homes being taken back by a bank because the homeowners were not able to make payments), and other places.

The movement argued that “capitalism” (a free market economy) needs to have protections for “vulnerable” (easily hurt) individuals and better ways to protect against “corruption” (immoral, unethical actions used to obtain more money in illegal, secretive ways). The movement and especially the slogan are still active today, but the movement is less “visible” (easily seen) than in was in 2011 and 2012.

Comprehension Answers

1 - a

2 - b