echo chamber

[masterding]

From VOa News:
The crowd at the Romney election party in Washington was predominantly white and universally disappointed.
While Romney won a majority of white voters in the election, he had less success in winning over women, younger people and minority voters.
Republican strategist Ford O’Connell says that will have to change.
“I think the Republicans have to recognize that they have to get beyond their echo chamber and actually help make inroads with other groups," O'Connell says, "because there are a lot of pre-conceived notions about Republicans in some minority groups harbor, and it’s up to Republicans to reach out and sort of change that perception.”
When Ronald Reagan won the presidency in 1980, white voters made up 85 percent of the electorate. This year they only made up 72 percent.

In addition to minority voters, Republicans face a major challenge in drawing more support from younger voters, pollster Scott Rasmussen says.
My questions:
1.What does "echo chamber" mean?
2.What does "make inroads" mean?
3. What does "harbor" mean?
4.Is it suppose to be "of"?
Thanks.

[Tdol]

1 When a number of people who hold the same opinions only discuss their ideas among themselves, this can lead to a hardening and amplification, so things can get more extreme.
2 Make progress towards gaining their support.
3 Hold/have

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, Masterding:


I have just spent a few minutes in the "books" and "news" sections of Google.

When you have time, just google "face a challenge in." Then click on the "books" and "news" sections.

I think (repeat: think) that this is the "rule":

to face the challenge of -ing.
to face a challenge in -ing.

IF (a big "if") that is actually the "rule," then it would appear that the sentence in your post uses the

correct preposition -- as far as American English is concerned.

*****

Here is a headline from a British newspaper: "[Name of leader] faces challenge of reconnecting with the [name of nationality] people." It's a headline. So it has left out either "the" or "a." I suspect it left out
"the."

Here is a headline from a Canadian newspaper (Do Canadians follow some aspects of British English?): "U.S. East coast faces daunting [very difficult] challenge of rebuilding [after the big storm]." I suspect the headline left out the word "the."

*****

All of the American examples seemed to follow the "rule":

THE challenge OF -ing
A challenge IN -ing.

*****

You are probably asking: OK, then. What is the difference between "the challenge of drawing more support" and "a challenge in drawing more support."

I do not know, and I hope that someone will explain it to us.


James

[masterding]

"because there are a lot of pre-conceived notions about Republicans in some minority groups harbor, and it’s up to Republicans to reach out and sort of change that perception.”
3 In this case I suppose there's some mistake in the original script, "in" is supposed to be that ,or else it will not make any sense.
Thanks a lot.

[masterding]

Hi, James:
I just google " face the challenge" and "face a challenge",almost all of the examples follow the "rule", except that a few examples use "face a challenge to do/sth".
Examples:
"New President’s Statement: We Face a Challenge to Quality Care"
"States face a challenge to meet health law's deadline "
"California's prisons face a challenge to change"

So should the "rule" be :
the challenge of doing/ sth.
a challenge in doing/sth.
a challenge to do/sth.

But if that really is the "rule ", is there any difference between them?
Thanks.

[5jj]

"because there are a lot of pre-conceived notions about Republicans in some minority groups harbor, and it’s up to Republicans to reach out and sort of change that perception.”
3 In this case I suppose there's some mistake in the original script, "in" is supposed to be that ,or else it will not make any sense.

There is a mistake:

“I think the Republicans have to recognize that they have to get beyond their echo chamber and actually help make inroads with other groups," O'Connell says, "because there are a lot of pre-conceived notions about Republicans that some minority groups harbor, and it’s up to Republicans to reach out and sort of change that perception.”


Analysts Say Diverse Coalition Helped Obama Win Election

[TheParser]

So should the "rule" be :
the challenge of doing/ sth.
a challenge in doing/sth.


But if that really is the "rule ", is there any difference between them?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****



Hello, Masterding:


I have just read an opinion from someone on the Web whose user name is Feeble Dragonfly.

I like his / her opinion and wanted to pass it along to you for your consideration.

(1) Republicans face THE challenge OF drawing more support from younger voters. = That is their

goal or target. That is THE challenge for the party in coming years.

(2) Republicans face A challenge In drawing more support from younger voters. = It suggests that there

will be many difficulties as they try to draw support from younger voters.

*****

Let me try to make up an example:

(3) Old people face THE challenge OF growing old gracefully. = That is their goal or target.

(4) Old people face A challenge IN growing old gracefully. = For many old people, it is going to be a

struggle.


*****

(5) On the Web, I recently read a headline something like this:

"The Pope faces A challenge IN getting more people to use Latin." As you may have heard, the Pope wants

more people to study Latin. But in this Facebook - YouTube- Twitter world, how many young people are

actually going to take time to learn Latin? I think that the Pope faces a very difficult road ahead.

(P.S. If more students of English knew Latin, they could -- I think -- find English vocabulary easier to

understand.)


James

[5jj]

If more students of English knew Latin, they could -- I think -- find English vocabulary easier to understand.

Unfortunately not a lot of people speak Latin as their first language these days. I don't really think it's worth learning Latin in order to understand English vocabulary more easily. I think the time might be better spent on reading/listening to/ using English.