US Presidential Contenders Enlist Celebrity Support to Push Ahead (1/2)

In the final weeks before the Iowa party caucuses, the presidential contenders are pulling out all the stops in an effort to sway voters.

Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois drew large crowds in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, thanks to some help from popular television talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

"I am sick of politics as usual. It is the reason why, over the years, you have not seen many politicians on my show, because I have only got one hour."

Obama is in a tight battle in Iowa with Senator Hillary Clinton of New York. Clinton leads the Democratic field in national polls, but has seen her once formidable advantage slip in recent weeks in both Iowa and in New Hampshire. New Hampshire hosts the first presidential primary five days after the Iowa caucuses on January 8.

Clinton has gotten some campaign help from celebrities as well, especially her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who remains very popular with Democrats.

But Hillary Clinton says in the end, the voters will decide among the candidates, and not the celebrities who endorse them.

参考译文：

在衣阿华州党员预选会前的最后几周，总统竞选者都在全力以赴的努力游说选民。

伊利诺斯州民主党参议员巴拉克·奥巴马在衣阿华、新罕布什尔和南卡罗莱纳州竞选的早期获得了大量民众支持，这是由于流行电视脱口秀节目主持人奥普拉·温弗瑞对他的某些帮助。

“我仍然和平时一样厌恶政治，这也是为什么这么多年你们很少能在我的节目中看到许多政客的原因。因为，我只有一个小时。”

奥巴马在衣阿华州和纽约的希拉里•克林顿有场硬仗要打。在国家民意调查中，克林顿在民主党中领先，但是近期，她的这种领先优势在衣阿华州和新罕布什尔州均有所下滑。新罕布什尔州是继1月8日衣阿华州预选会五天后第一个主持预备选举的地方。

克林顿也从名人中获得了竞选帮助，尤其是从她丈夫，前任总统比尔·克林顿（那获得帮助）。比尔·克林顿仍然在民主党众支持率很高。

但是希拉里·克林顿说最终，选民是在候选者中做决定而非那些支持候选者的名人。