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.
“人间真实”才是《打开生活的正确方式》******
正在播出的剧集《打开生活的正确方式》热度值稳定，位列优酷平台在播剧的第二名。偏向合家欢的剧情和主打中年人生活图鉴的定位，集纳黄渤、梅婷、朱珠、田雨、王志飞、韩童生等一众实力派高口碑演员，不仅开播后未见大热，新近豆瓣评分更低至4.6分，有些令人难以置信。
业内人士认为，轻喜剧路线和“合家欢”电视剧的属性本具有最广泛的收视人群基础，然而也正因如此，人物设定不合理、故事展开和情节推进缺少“抓地感”，无法激发共鸣的时候，来自观众的低分与吐槽也会“火力”集中。这提醒着创作者们，现实题材创作需认真回归生活本地、紧扣时代节拍，才能与当代观众形成同频共振。
在酸甜苦辣中品味人生百态
虽说人间烟火气可以抚慰人心，但身处其中却也不得不品尝各种酸甜苦辣。《打开生活的正确方式》涉及了当代中年人面对的职场关系、情感纠葛、子女教育、父母代际观念冲突等多元的现实话题。主创选择用轻喜剧的形式应对“困顿中年”的沉重性，在拆解种种生活烦恼的同时，找寻“笑着前行”的慰藉与力量。
当初恋女友和现任妻子坐在一辆车中，对中年男人来说是一个什么样的修罗场？由黄渤饰演的汽车销售公司经理边亮，一边开着车一边小心翼翼地引导话题走向，生怕妻子产生什么误会。俗话说“人到中年万事忧”，刚刚置换了一套大房子、并且即将升任公司副总的边亮春风得意之际却突逢“惊喜”，从总公司空降来考察人事的领导，竟然是自己的初恋女友冬晓。二十年前两个人的分手并不愉快，如今的冬晓也没打算公私分明，不仅明示自己要介入边亮的婚姻感情生活，还在工作中处处针对。等焦头烂额的边亮好不容易化解了与初恋女友之间的尴尬关系，几乎板上钉钉的晋升副总的机会又被空降来的董事长亲戚抢走。努力工作多年却不敌竞争对手的血缘关系，边亮在找朋友发泄完满腹牢骚后回归了平常心，显示出当代中年人特有的应对外界纷扰的“钝感力”。
公司里不顺心，回到家里又要面对不同代际关系的烦心事。儿子学习成绩不好，夫妻两个想着把儿子送出国留学，却被中介骗走一百万，而儿子对出国留学又非常抵触。小的不听话，老的也不省心。边亮的“老顽童”父亲，就喜欢和孙子一起打网游……《打开生活的正确方式》就是用这样细碎却娓娓道来的方式，勾勒着中年生活的种种尴尬与烦恼。
出色演技撑不起套路化情节和不合理人设
在《打开生活的正确方式》里，黄渤、梅婷、朱珠、田雨、王志飞、韩童生等“中戏骨”、“老戏骨”贡献了出色的演技，他们的表演松弛自然、贴近生活，符合各自的年龄和身份特征。例如黄渤在表现成熟与洒脱的同时，也演出了中年人满满的疲惫感。
不过，让观众信服的人物设定，不能仅靠演员的演技支撑。例如由朱珠饰演的冬晓不仅事业有成，而且明艳动人、美丽大方。而面对这样一个优秀前女友的“咄咄逼人”，虽然边亮对婚姻和妻子的态度始终“坚定不移”，但情节展开中又出现了许多“迷惑行为”。在初恋女友冬晓提出一起去试婚纱的要求后，边亮不仅答应还很快乐地拍了四套婚纱照；日常工作中两人的身体接触也缺少应有的“边界感”，这就与男主思虑成熟、做事稳重的人设有些自相矛盾。此外，剧中围绕着边亮和前女友之间的戏剧性“名场面”也过于频繁与刻意，也难怪不少网友们对此类情节心生反感——无论中年生活是一地鸡毛的热闹嘈杂，或静水微澜的岁月画卷，众多实力派演员都值得更真挚鲜活的故事，或者更有讨论价值的话题深度，而不应让观众打出“太俗套”的低分。(本报记者 卫中)
(来源：文汇报 2023年2月3日 第6版)
