中新網(wǎng)北京1月9日電(蔣鯉)在15輪投票表決后，美國(guó)眾議院議長(zhǎng)選舉這場(chǎng)“連續(xù)劇”終于落下帷幕，眾議院共和黨領(lǐng)袖凱文?麥卡錫最終成功當(dāng)選第55任美國(guó)眾議院議長(zhǎng)。這是美國(guó)國(guó)會(huì)過(guò)去164年來(lái)耗時(shí)最久的一次議長(zhǎng)選舉記錄，將美國(guó)“對(duì)抗式民主”的弊端暴露無(wú)遺。
資料圖：美國(guó)眾議院共和黨領(lǐng)袖麥卡錫。中新社記者 沙晗汀 攝
由于兩黨對(duì)立加劇、黨派內(nèi)斗、利益分配不均等因素，眾議長(zhǎng)選舉陷入一場(chǎng)拉鋸戰(zhàn)。在此次眾議長(zhǎng)競(jìng)選中，美國(guó)民主黨議員繼續(xù)抱團(tuán)，多輪投票中，一票不投麥卡錫，共和黨右翼“強(qiáng)硬派”領(lǐng)頭的約20人小團(tuán)體也拒絕投票麥卡錫。
麥卡錫的當(dāng)選之路一波三折，除了本人的“政治投機(jī)派”角色在國(guó)會(huì)不受歡迎外，與共和黨內(nèi)部政治分歧關(guān)系密切。
一方面，共和黨黨內(nèi)反對(duì)者認(rèn)為，麥卡錫對(duì)民主黨態(tài)度過(guò)于軟弱，無(wú)力對(duì)抗民主黨控制的參議院和拜登政府，另一方面，因?yàn)楣埠忘h的多數(shù)優(yōu)勢(shì)微弱，黨內(nèi)一些影響力較小的派系的政治力量則被放大，有利于他們鞏固自己的選票。
此外，黨內(nèi)反對(duì)者也認(rèn)為，自己的選票沒(méi)有換取更多利益，希望以此作為籌碼換取麥卡錫更大的讓步，比如讓他們獲得眾議院重要委員會(huì)中的職務(wù)。
作為僅次于美國(guó)總統(tǒng)、副總統(tǒng)的政壇三號(hào)人物，眾議院議長(zhǎng)通常由眾議院多數(shù)黨領(lǐng)袖擔(dān)任，選舉幾乎沒(méi)有懸念。然而，麥卡錫此次為當(dāng)選，不得不做出多個(gè)關(guān)鍵讓步，其中可能包括恢復(fù)一項(xiàng)罷黜議長(zhǎng)動(dòng)議機(jī)制，使得眾議長(zhǎng)的權(quán)力被削弱，難以掌控眾議院。
美國(guó)有線(xiàn)電視新聞網(wǎng)CNN稱(chēng)，麥卡錫在這場(chǎng)不合時(shí)宜的政治勒索中作出讓步，這種綏靖政策只會(huì)讓極端主義勢(shì)力更加強(qiáng)大。
這場(chǎng)引發(fā)全世界圍觀的尷尬選舉暴露出美國(guó)政治存在嚴(yán)重的對(duì)立和分化。在權(quán)力博弈思維的裹挾下，黨派利益凌駕于國(guó)家和人民利益之上，美國(guó)兩黨相互拆臺(tái)，陷入“為反對(duì)而反對(duì)”的無(wú)腦對(duì)壘。而即便是一黨內(nèi)，也會(huì)因?yàn)槔娣峙鋯?wèn)題產(chǎn)生不同的小派系，相互對(duì)抗，選票變成了謀利益的工具。
從國(guó)會(huì)山騷亂到打破記歷史記錄的15輪眾議長(zhǎng)選舉，“對(duì)抗式民主”讓美國(guó)政治陷入瓶頸，長(zhǎng)期對(duì)抗勢(shì)必會(huì)讓政客們喪失客觀公正的判斷能力，其政治階層是否有能力治理國(guó)家也會(huì)引發(fā)質(zhì)疑。
兩黨之爭(zhēng)和黨派內(nèi)斗進(jìn)一步放大了美國(guó)政治體制弊病，美國(guó)所謂的“民主”形象，讓全世界大跌眼鏡。鼓吹以選民利益為先的美式選舉，變成了政客們利益置換的游戲，進(jìn)一步彰顯出美國(guó)“民主政治”日漸失能，不斷極化的黨爭(zhēng)已使美國(guó)政治制度陷入死循環(huán)。
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.
