Wow. This is as of 5:00 pm Tehran time. The yellow is votes for Rouhani, the only ‘moderate’ candidate for President in Iran’s elections.
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Don’t get your hopes up. ABC News said this evening that while this guy was the most moderate of the group running, he was so close in ideology to the others it was like they were all in the Tea Party. And, they said, it’s just a figure-head position anyway. The real power is held by the Ayatollah. 😦
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But Jim,, let’s not forget the underlying desire for reform in Iran. The current generation didn’t put the Ayatollahs into power, but they did put Rouhani in. We’ll see . . . .
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There’s no such thing as a Moderate candidate in Iran. The Supreme Leader and the Council of Mullahs has to approve all candidates for the figurehead, secular government and they don’t approve candidates for important positions who aren’t on board with doctrine.
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I have to agree with Jim and Jonolan. Very little will change in Iran after Rouhani’s success.
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Well Ahab, you’re all sharp observers, so you may have it right and I have it wrong. We can hope though.
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Tea Party 🙂 Rouhani was then probably audited.
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??? Alan – can you expand on your comment – I’m tired this morning and missing the point.
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I found it amusing that the Iranian candidates were likened to Tea Partyers. I wondered if the Iranian version of the IRS cared as much as their American counterparts that tea drinkers not be tax scofflaws.
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Someone likened the Iranian candidates to Tea Partiers??? Well, that’s quite a stretch. (you need to sign back in Alan – it is you, isn’t it?)
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Sorry I posted anonymous. It was not intentional. I’ve had browser, e mail , security issues very recently.
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Whatever the “behind the scenes” political reality, it the significance of this is that the Iranian population prefers the least extreme of the candidates.
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There is no actual significance to that since the Iranian population may well prefer him, understanding quite well the “behind the scenes” political reality, for reason that have little or nothing to do with his being labeled a “Moderate” or his views on the US and Israel.
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jonolan, I think you’re right they didn’t elect him for reasons having to do with US or Israel, but I do think that what the electorate is signaling is very relevant to domestic policy, press freedoms, women’s rights, and to some extent Sharia law. Like I said, we’ll see . . . .
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I think it has more to do with his stated economic posture since that is the singular concern of most Iranians right now.
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Hi Bill, nice to see you. I agree with you – see my own comment below. I’d say you’re exactly right about why it’s significant.
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Yeah, this is only the most moderate candidate they are *allowed* to vote for. I feel sad for them. This reminds me of how the approved candidates were selected for us in Poland.
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Poland? How did I not realize (or did I forget) that you came from Poland? And brat – how did your English get to be flawless? Which it is.
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I don’t remember if I’ve ever mentioned it or not? Also, I lived in Holland for a while, which can make things a little confusing.
As far as my English, thanks! It’s because I was lucky enough to come here pretty young–only a teenager–young enough to still absorb the language quickly. My parents were in their 40s when we moved, and they struggled a lot more with it.
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Be cautious – how often do we vote for change and nothing changes
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Well, my goodness Red, that’s true right here in the heart of free election land, the USA!
It’s a pretty sorry state of affairs – and it happens with both parties. Remembering how disappointed the religious right was when, except for some smoke and mirrors stuff, the Bush presidency did not per se advance their agenda in any way at all.
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It is everywhere I’m sad to say
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Rouhani will be constrained for sure by the ‘Supreme Council’, but he can have an effect. He was the candidate most favored by reformers and he came out of the administration of former prez Khatami, who was in fact quite moderate. He can do a great deal domestically and diplomatically even within the contstraints. But I think the most important thing is that his win has meaning to the reformists and the conservatives cannot help but notice. They worry about a renewed second protest movement.
And the guy who came in second is considered a centrist – basically, all the rightwing and very Islamist candidates crashed.
That has to have an effect. What it will be is to be seen. But still . . .
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