Monday, January 31, 2005
E-Day, part 3
Make sure you come back one after midnight EST, on the morning on Monday, 31 January, for the latest - twentieth - edition of "Good news from Iraq" - not only the last two weeks' worth of under-reported positive developments, but also the most comprehensive campaign and election day round-up.
In the meantime, a few quickies:
Jeff Jarvis on the silence of the lambs: "Whether it's Kerry or any of these [left-wing] bloggers, it would be the grownup, mature, generous, humanistic, caring -- yes, dare I say, liberal -- thing to do to be glad that people who lived under tyranny are now giving birth to democracy. Democracy isn't a right-or-left thing, folks. It's a right-and-left thing, remember?"
[Update: The Daily Kos breaks the silence: "This Election is simply, in my estimation, an exercise in pretty pictures. Why? Because Elections are to choose governments, not to celebrate the day. Are the people elected capable of governing Iraq at this time? Without 150,000 U.S. soldiers? Or even with them?" In other words, the election doesn't matter if we, for some reason, don't think much of the government that emerges. Sounds like every election that the Republicans win, doesn't it? Meanwhile, this from John Kerry on "Meet the Press" (hat tip: John Kennett): "But no one in the United States... should try to over-hype this election. This election is a sort of demarcation point, and what really counts now is the effort to have a legitimate political reconciliation." Or, forget about the election; the reconcilliation is the name of the game. The goalposts keep moving with the speed of light.]
But, as most of the coverage suggests, even the media can't quite bury or spin this one away. Most, but not all. Ann Althouse notes that the "New York Times" has been up to its old pathetic tricks. And reader and fellow blogger Christopher has emailed me his impression of a typical CNN interview during the election day (paraphrasing):
And speaking of photos, Barcepundit has a nice photoshoped image of the now-famous Iraqi stained finger.
Haider Ajinas, Iraqi expat and now a Chrenkoff regular writes:
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In the meantime, a few quickies:
Jeff Jarvis on the silence of the lambs: "Whether it's Kerry or any of these [left-wing] bloggers, it would be the grownup, mature, generous, humanistic, caring -- yes, dare I say, liberal -- thing to do to be glad that people who lived under tyranny are now giving birth to democracy. Democracy isn't a right-or-left thing, folks. It's a right-and-left thing, remember?"
[Update: The Daily Kos breaks the silence: "This Election is simply, in my estimation, an exercise in pretty pictures. Why? Because Elections are to choose governments, not to celebrate the day. Are the people elected capable of governing Iraq at this time? Without 150,000 U.S. soldiers? Or even with them?" In other words, the election doesn't matter if we, for some reason, don't think much of the government that emerges. Sounds like every election that the Republicans win, doesn't it? Meanwhile, this from John Kerry on "Meet the Press" (hat tip: John Kennett): "But no one in the United States... should try to over-hype this election. This election is a sort of demarcation point, and what really counts now is the effort to have a legitimate political reconciliation." Or, forget about the election; the reconcilliation is the name of the game. The goalposts keep moving with the speed of light.]
But, as most of the coverage suggests, even the media can't quite bury or spin this one away. Most, but not all. Ann Althouse notes that the "New York Times" has been up to its old pathetic tricks. And reader and fellow blogger Christopher has emailed me his impression of a typical CNN interview during the election day (paraphrasing):
"CNN Correspondent: Did you vote?As Christopher writes, "I'm staying on Fox News from now on." But CNN's coverage is increasingly becoming an exception. Another reader, Dan Foty, has been listening in to CBS and was amazed to hear even Dan Rather impressed by the events in Iraq. See also Powerline's Deacon's ode to Geraldo. Speaking of Powerline, check out great photos of queues outside polling stations.
Iraqi: I voted.
CNN: AREN'T YOU SCARED?
Iraqi: No.
CNN: DIDN'T YOU HEAR THE BOMBS GOING OFF? AREN'T YOU SCARED?
Iraqi: We heard the bombs. But we voted.
CNN: AREN'T YOU AFRAID OF GETTING KILLED?
Iraqi: We voted. We were proud to vote. This is a big day for Iraq.
CNN: [disappointed tone] Well, there you have it. Iraqis defying the threats of the insurgents WHO SAID THEY WOULD MAKE THE STREETS RUN RED WITH THE BLOOD OF IRAQI VOTERS.
[commercial break]"
And speaking of photos, Barcepundit has a nice photoshoped image of the now-famous Iraqi stained finger.
Haider Ajinas, Iraqi expat and now a Chrenkoff regular writes:
"I just finished my phone call to my Father in Baghdad Iraq. He voted, my 84-year-old Grandmother voted, my uncles and aunties voted, my cousins voted. They were elated, happy, energized, empowered and grateful.Amen.
"To all the men and women who have served and serving in Iraq, to all the families of those who have paid the ultimate price to all those who have suffered during their service in Iraq, my family’s and my deepest thanks, gratitude and pride both from the U.S. and Iraq for all the sacrifices, endurance and service for our great country and Iraq and the Iraqis. God bless all of you and keep you safe.
"God bless this great country of ours, and God bless our leadership who have the courage to free oppressed people in our times."
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