Hard-core fundamentalist leads Iran presidential vote

[lord of the mark]

Senator Palpatine was just defeated by Darth Sidious.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I would have thought if they got tired of Khatami's "yapping" it would have been before the elections when he was doing so. They let him run in two elections. He didn't start his "yapping" at the end of his term.

Some people have longer patience than you.

I wonder how many people would be pissy if the Reformist candidate made it to the runoff with Rafsanjani.

Well, I didn't consider Iran a functional democracy back when Khatami got elected, if that's an answer to your question.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Last Conformist
Well, I didn't consider Iran a functional democracy back when Khatami got elected, if that's an answer to your question.

Did you think Khatami was democratically elected? It's a different thing. No claimed it was a liberal democracy.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I'm sure Tehran's populace is familiar with their mayor and his policies. Remember Khatami is a cleric as well.

Perhaps they think that non-clerics would advance more legislation to benefit the working man (in terms of social policy, etc).

why would someone who is close to the hardline clerics do something the clerics wouldnt do? Its like voting for Reagan cause youre tired of all the wealthy California business people in politics.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
why would someone who is close to the hardline clerics do something the clerics wouldnt do? Its like voting for Reagan cause youre tired of all the wealthy California business people in politics.

Well, since he is a business person, he may be more inclined to push legislation that the common man would benefit, like different types of social programs. The belief may be that the clerics don't really know what would benefit common people. This guy knows things about the people that a cleric may not.

I don't think they are thinking that a non-cleric elected means that it is a theocratic republic anymore. That's just silly.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


Well, since he is a business person, he may be more inclined to push legislation that the common man would benefit, like different types of social programs. The belief may be that the clerics don't really know what would benefit common people. This guy knows things about the people that a cleric may not.

I don't think they are thinking that a non-cleric elected means that it is a theocratic republic anymore. That's just silly.

thats what it sounded like to me. Given what we see in an established democracies with 1st world education, and vigorous free media, why would we think that no Iranian voter is silly?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Given what we see in an established democracies with 1st world education, and vigorous free media, why would we think that no Iranian voter is silly?

Because this guy lives in Tehran. This candidate was mayor of Tehran. I give people credit for realizing what side of the political spectrum their own politicians are on.

It'd be like if your local politician was listed as a 'Republican', but in town meetings favored nationalizing services and acted to have the town buy up the utilities. I think the ordinary person would know that he wasn't a traditional Republican.

[lord of the mark]

i actually know two people whove been to Teheran in the last two years. One is a good friend, the other someone i met briefly at a party. Both suggested that the mullahs are bitterly hated in Teheran. The friend said people ask "when is Bush going to invade" and the other said a cabbie pointed to high new building the airport, and said "thats where we'll hang the mullahs" Now i fully realize that these people may not have been exposed to the full range of opinion, and that theres a large body of people who support hardline Islamism. But I think the notion that there are people there who are anti-clerical, and would make a dismissive notion about turbans, who are NOT fed up with the whole regime is just silly. and whatever this guy does for "working men" he is NOT going to make radical changes to the clerical regime.

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Did you think Khatami was democratically elected?

I do not know if the theocrats used their ability to weed out undesired candidates when he was elected. If not, his election was democratic.

[lord of the mark]

"The official said turnout was 22 million, or 47 percent, well down on the 63 percent of Iran's 46.7 million eligible voters who cast ballots in the first round on June 17."

odd, as earlier indications were that moderates were rallying around Rafsanjani. Either a lot of moin voters stayed home, or maybe there WAS massive intimidation.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Last Conformist

I do not know if the theocrats used their ability to weed out undesired candidates when he was elected. If not, his election was democratic.

They did. IS thinks this doesnt matter, cause Khatami was still undesirable. I dont see why he was so undesirable. He yapped alot - did anything really change?

[Imran Siddiqui]

I dont see why he was so undesirable. He yapped alot - did anything really change?

I don't think it is a concidence that the reform protests came during Khatami's regime. He didn't get any substantial changes done, but became a symbol of the reform movement. A sign that they were a force to be reckoned with.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

I dont see why he was so undesirable. He yapped alot - did anything really change?

I don't think it is a concidence that the reform protests came during Khatami's regime. He didn't get any substantial changes done, but became a symbol of the reform movement. A sign that they were a force to be reckoned with.

Of course its no coincidence - he was allowed in as a sop to discontent with stagnation - and the reformers supported out of hope that SOMETHING would change - when the Mullahs squashed him down, and he went down quietly, the reformers gave up on him - i dont think they considered him a symbol anymore.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

The results are in. The hard-liner has won 60% of 22 million votes (about 47% voter turnout).

I don't like where this is going.

[Agathon]

How many Iranians do you guys know? Most of them have no time for the fundies. But they have less time for Shrub telling them what to do.

Let them sort it out themselves. Iran is a fairly progressive society by world standards. I know that sounds funny, but that's because you are forgetting about the vast majority of basket cases.

Mexico isn't much better for example. Nor are most Latin American countries.