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Sunday, January 30, 2005
Shameless Early Iraqi Election BloggingCNN reports a 72% turnout in Iraq, which is stunning, but let's balance that number with a couple of considerations:
a) No independent confirmation. News outfits get their facts right now from Iraq's election commission. In fact, the independent election-watchers seem to be monitoring things from Jordan. That's as silly as "liveblogging" the polls from L.A.
b) The turnout in Indonesia last year was north of 80 percent. People in new democracies like to vote. There's no comparing electorates like these to the spoiled and blasé citizens of, say, the United States. So let's can the "Americans-never-turn-out-like-this" gloating. That won't cut any mustard around here.
Still, a 70-odd percent turnout might lead to a true and legitimate Iraqi constitution, assuming enough disgruntled Sunnis voted. That would be -- well, amazing. Right? Comments are on; the Radio Free Mike tech team is standing by for your opinion.
posted by Michael Scott Moore |
2:33 PM
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