米大統領選討論 ロムニー善戦でオバマ守勢に

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 6, 2012)
Romney's good fight put Obama on the defensive
米大統領選討論　ロムニー善戦でオバマ守勢に（10月5日付・読売社説）

Democratic incumbent U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican nominee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had a face-to-face confrontation Wednesday in Denver in their first televised debate ahead of the U.S. presidential election to be held on Nov. 6.
　１１月６日の米大統領選投開票に向け、民主党候補のオバマ大統領と共和党候補のロムニー前マサチューセッツ州知事が直接対決する、第１回テレビ討論会が行われた。

Presidential debates, three of which will be held this year, are important events that give voters a chance to evaluate the candidates based on aspects of how they look on TV, such as their expressions and demeanor, as well as what they debate.
　計３回行われる討論会は、討論の中身は無論、表情や態度などテレビ映りの良さが有権者の判断材料となる重要なイベントだ。

The debates are critical for Romney to turn the tables on his rival as he sees the voters' support for him remain sluggish partly due to his own verbal lapses. As his approval ratings have been plummeting in closely contested states, there will be no hope for Romney to win the race if he fails in the debates.
　自らの失言で支持率がなかなか伸びないロムニー氏にとって、劣勢を挽回する重要な機会である。激戦州で支持率が急落していただけに失敗すれば勝ち目はない。

In polls taken right after the debate, Romney appeared to be viewed as the winner, probably because his going aggressively on the offensive proved effective. It can be said the ultimate outcome of the race has become uncertain again.
　終了直後の世論調査でロムニー氏に軍配が上がったのは、積極的に攻めに出たのが功を奏した結果だろう。選挙戦の行方は再び混沌(こんとん)としてきたと言える。

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Romney was in his element

Economic and domestic issues, the focus of the first debate, were where Romney, who has succeeded as a corporate executive, is at his strongest.
　第１回討論のテーマ「経済・内政」は、経営者として成功したロムニー氏の得意分野だった。

The U.S. economy is in a critical state. It has been unable to pull itself out of its slowdown, and the jobless rate remains high. No president has ever been reelected since the end of World War II with the jobless rate hovering in the 8-percent range.
　米経済の状況は厳しい。景気減速から抜け出せず、失業率は高止まりしている。第２次世界大戦後、失業率８％台で再選された米大統領はいない。

The first debate proved advantageous for Romney as he criticized Obama's misadministration in the past four years, while Obama, aiming to be reelected, was forced onto the defensive.
　４年間の「失政」を攻撃するロムニー氏には有利で、再選を目指すオバマ氏は防戦に追われた。

Both candidates are being tested as to how they would realize a robust economic recovery and whether each can present any effective prescriptions to that end. In the debate, the differences in their policies have come to light once again.
　両候補に問われているのは、力強い景気回復をどう実現していくのか、実効性ある処方箋を示すことである。討論では、政策の違いが改めて浮かび上がった。

Obama's stance attaches great importance to the role of the federal government in creating jobs. He put forward his cherished ideas, such as tax cuts for middle-income taxpayers; the rehiring of former teachers; investment in schools, roads and other public infrastructure; and expanded use of renewable energy.
　オバマ氏は、雇用を創出するため、連邦政府の役割を重視する立場だ。中間所得層向け減税、教員の再雇用、学校や道路など公共投資、再生エネルギーの拡大などの持論を展開した。

Romney criticized Obama's budget policies as fiscal expansion, while emphasizing the need to enhance the private sector's vitality by making sizable tax cuts, including ones for upper-income households, and deregulation. He also renewed his public pledges to promote the nation's energy independence and create 12 million jobs.
　ロムニー氏は財政膨張だと批判し、富裕層を含む大幅減税と規制撤廃で民間の活力を高める必要性を強調した。エネルギー自給の推進や１２００万人の雇用創出を改めて公約した。

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Details needed on both sides

How can financial resources be secured? Or how can such a large-scale job creation be realized without economic stimulus measures through more government spending? In the economic stimulus measures put forward by the two candidates, there are more than a few that need to be worked out in detail.
　財源をどう確保するのか。財政出動による景気刺激策なしに大規模な雇用を創出できるのか。両候補の景気浮揚策には、詰めるべき点が少なくない。

U.S. fiscal deficits have topped the 1 trillion dollars mark for four fiscal years in a row. The challenge of putting the fiscal house in order is an important task on which no time can be wasted.
　財政赤字は、４年続けて１兆ドルを超えている。財政再建は待ったなしの重要な課題だ。

In his budget-cutting plan to trim the deficit, Obama does not treat national defense spending as an exception. But Romney opposes cuts in such spending. How will fiscal rehabilitation affect future U.S. military strategy, which attaches importance to Asia? This is also an issue that is related to the national security of Japan.
　そのために必要な歳出削減で、オバマ氏は国防費も例外扱いにしないが、ロムニー氏は反対だ。財政再建が今後、アジアを重視する米国の軍事戦略にどう影響してくるのか。日本の安全保障にもかかわる問題である。

Diplomatic issues will be one of the topics covered in the second and third debates. U.S. policy toward China will probably become a major issue. We would like to pay close attention to how the debates turn out, as they may decide which side will win in the closely contested presidential race.
　２回目、３回目の討論では外交もテーマとなる。対中政策が大きな争点となろう。接戦の帰趨(きすう)を決める論戦の行方を注視したい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 5, 2012)
（2012年10月5日01時15分  読売新聞）