To the dismay of Democrats (the irony of that is not lost on us, by the way) democracy seems to have taken hold in Iraq. Via Pajamas Media, Iraq The Model reports the following:
-Security was much better than last time in January and there were only a few minor incidents.
-It was clear that the IECI and its multi-thousand strong staff did a wonderful and exceptional job in such a hard time to make the election go in the best way possible.
-The Iraqi Army and police were successful in giving our people the opportunity to vote in a peaceful environment.
-The total registered voter-count was 1,000,000 higher than in January after adding Iraqi citizens who were born in 1987.
-15.5 million+ Iraqis cast their votes in more than 30,000 stations spread nationwide.
-All the assassinations and intimidation that preceded the election could not stop the process.
They are also reporting 80% voter turnout in Mosul.
So despite the efforts of al Qaeda, Abu Musab Al Zarqawi (who, thanks to a corroborative effort with Iowa Hawk,is now blogging) Cindy Sheehan, Michael Moore, Howard Dean, and many others, the great Iraqi experiment worked. They are on their way to becoming a progressive (in the true sense of the word), free, capitalist, civilized nation in a sea of religious fanaticism, death cults, oppression, stifling theocratic rule, and terror. That was George W. Bush's vision, not the vision of the Democrats. It's worth remembering that.
There will still be struggles ahead, particularly as Al Qaeda operatives gasp their last breaths and try to take as many people to Hell with them as they can. And all Iraqis will not love each other, just as blue staters have a difficult time admitting that they live in the same nation as the folks who created fried chicken, NASCAR, and the Dukes of Hazzard. There will be partisan fighting (gasp!) and disagreements and calls for secession by radicals. But I predict that Iraq will become a great nation, not by slaughtering those unfaithful to the Koran and sharia, but by respecting the humanity of its people and giving them a chance to be great and to be free.
And the US has a strategic military ally just across the border from Iran. Remember them?
Malkin election blog roundup.
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