Originally Posted By Beaumandy Just wanted to get a thread going about the upcoming election tomorrow in Iraq. The reports I have seen are predicting a HUGE turnout for this election, and that includes the Sunnis who now understand that democracy is the future of this country, not terrorism or Saddam. I fight with the left all the time regarding the progress in Iraq, but even the Elkay's of the world would have to admit that the progress in Iraq in less than 3 years is incredible. Glad to see that Bush couldn't be convinced by our frineds on the left to cut and run or to surrender to terrorists in Iraq.
Originally Posted By DouglasDubh And the Democrats are on TV right now, trying to downplay its significance.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy Are they?? If that is so then it's just another sign that the ONLY thing they care about is getting their long last power back regardless of the cost to Iraq, our troops, or America. Iraq to the democrats is a political issue and that's all it is. It's why they lose.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy Great, the Iranians are acting like democrats. How surprising... Iran Tampering with Iraqi Election Police Seize Forged Ballots Headed to Iraq From Iran. (Hat tip: Ringo.) BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 13 - Less than two days before nationwide elections, the Iraqi border police seized a tanker on Tuesday that had just crossed from Iran filled with thousands of forged ballots, an official at the Interior Ministry said. Iraqis vote Thursday in a national election to establish a new four-year government. Here are seven figures who could emerge among the leaders. The tanker was seized in the evening by agents with the American-trained border protection force at the Iraqi town of Badra, after crossing at Munthirya on the Iraqi border, the official said. According to the Iraqi official, the border police found several thousand partly completed ballots inside. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, said the Iranian truck driver told the police under interrogation that at least three other trucks filled with ballots had crossed from Iran at different spots along the border. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/14/international/middleeast/14iraq.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1134540180-iZ4xLbWw8qnCFWsjf4q4wA" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12 /14/international/middleeast/14iraq.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1134540180-iZ4xLbWw8qnCFWsjf4q4wA</a>
Originally Posted By TomSawyer It's so much easier to stuff the ballot with Diebold machines than it is with paper ballots.
Originally Posted By patrickegan When the purple fingers show up it puts a damper on the lefts self loathing propaganda machine. Hey Cindy here’s why- <a href="http://thepoliticalteen.net/2005/12/13/gotohell" target="_blank">http://thepoliticalteen.net/20 05/12/13/gotohell</a>
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Here's hoping that everything goes peacefully in this election, and that there is a huge turnout. That's the fastest way to start bringing our troops back home.
Originally Posted By ElKay What a lot of commentators don't speak of is the fact that almost all of the parties putting up candidates for election are based on ethnic (Kurds) or religious factions. Almost none of the parties are running a nationwide basis or even talking about wanting to create a unified Iraqi nation. It's a foregone conclusion that the Shia win the most seats of the three main groups. The question is whether they will need the assistance of the Kurds to form a government. Nobody says that the Sunni will play a major role in the new parliment. The Sunni are still smarting about the Constitution which doesn't address the concerns of the Sunni in the division of new oil revenues or the amount of control each province has to work independently of the weak central government. Neither the Shia nor the Kurds are saying much about the call for a bill of iraqi rights or even amending the constitution to mollify the Sunni grievences. Also keep in mind that South Vietnam had regular elections, but those elections didn't stop the guerilla Viet Cong insergents from trying to violently overthrow the duely elected RVN government. Additionally, the Southern States participated in the 1860, presidental election that elected Lincoln. But before he took office several state had by then left the Union and attacked a US military base in Charleston. Exactly why didn't that election prevent the Civil War? The Iraqi people have really no tradition in representative government, let alone democracy. Since the 1920's when it was a British dependancy or since the 1950's when a series of strong men have ruled the place, elections, if they ever happened were meaningless gesture that the end result was always known beforehand. If tomorrow 100% of the Iraqi people voted, that wouldn't stop a single IED or civilian Iraqi kidnapping. Without a government that can bring law and order, enable business to thrive and restore basic services in very short order, nothing will change on the ground in Iraq. Toony, is the most correct, that the only thing will change is that who ever wins will give Bush an excuse to start drawing down troops whether or not violence or chaos ends on Friday.
Originally Posted By woody "Almost none of the parties are running a nationwide basis or even talking about wanting to create a unified Iraqi nation." This is contrary to the polls that say the Iraqi people want an unified country. It's been two years since the invasion. I think it's a wonder that this is the third national election. It won't be perfect for a long time. However, the Democratic downplaying is rather suspicious. There are many Democrats who thought the U.S. Presidential elections in 2000 and 2004 were not legitimate. Yet they are not saying the Iraqi elections are similarly not legitimate? Don't forget that the Democrats defunded the Vietnam War and defunded any efforts to help the South Vietnamese government from defending itself.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy Uhhhh... the election in Iraq went good with massive amounts of people voting and little to no violence. The most historic election in the history of the middle east gets a big yawn... But if nobody showed up to vote or 500 people were killed by bombs today and crowds were chanting " DEATH TO BUSH ", this story and thread would be on fire. The pattern of good news for America equals bad news for demcorats continues.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer There's no controversy to spark a debate here. Everyone sees the elections in Iraq as a good thing.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy <<There's no controversy to spark a debate here. Everyone sees the elections in Iraq as a good thing.>> Then how come so many people on the left tried EVERYTHING to stop the liberation of Iraq and these elections that have changed history?
Originally Posted By Beaumandy <a href="http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://fallbackbelmont.blogspo t.com/</a> Look at this picture. The line to vote looks like the opening of Indiana Jones minus the strollers.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Sean Hannity practically wet himself on his radio broadcast. That was fun to hear. : )
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 Listening to a local radio show on my way home. Lady calls in tells the host that these elections were a bad thing and that Saddam wasn't a bad person, there was nothing wrong with Iraq. You know Beau, I agree with you most of the time, but I always thought you went a little overboard with "the liberals want Saddam in power" deal. But this women really hit your point home.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy Did she really say that? Most of the time the liberals at least PRETEND to want Iraq to go well.
