As I watch both the local and international reaction to the Iranian election I can’t help but wonder what idiots decided that they needed an old Soviet style outcome with such a huge margin of victory. While he never admitted to rigging elections, old Mayor Daley knew how to do it right.
According to one story he said the key was to give your man a margin of victory big enough that it couldn’t be challenged in court yet small enough that even your biggest enemies couldn’t be 100% sure you rigged it.
Had the results given Ahmadinejad a 1st place finish in the low to mid 40’s and then a runoff victory in the low 50’s, there still would have been some who were suspicious but most observers would have been willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
As it is, hopes for an outreach to Iran have been dealt a blow and we may see continued unrest for some time to come.
The cartoon by Petar Pismestrovic, Kleine Zeitung, Austria, is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.