My Gut Tells Me Ahmadinejad Lost
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Iran
And this guy (Mirhossein Mousavi) won hands down.
Why?
Well, the buzz has been tremendous about this election, especially after Lebanon was taken back by the moderates. Iranians are more excited about this election than any in recent memory. They’re out in the streets actively campaigning, and, oddly enough, I see some pretty interesting parallels between theirs and the one we had last fall.
First, you have a hardline, unapologetic President who rattles his sabre frequently. Also, his fiscal policies have nearly crippled the economy. Add to that the fact that this is the first election where Iran has had televised debates (think about Obama’s use of social networking tech) and it’s gets a little eerie.
And apparently people are coming to the polls in droves. This is rarely a good sign for incumbents with low approval ratings. Change is in the air and, as the title suggests, I really think we’re seeing the last of Ahmadinejad’s reign.
Hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his main moderate challenger both claimed to be leading in a hotly-contested election in Iran on Friday.Millions of Iranians streamed to polling stations, causing voting to be extended by four hours to 10 p.m. (1730 GMT) to allow more people to cast ballots, the Interior Ministry said.
Sadegh Kharazi, a senior backer of former Prime Minister Mirhossein Mousavi, said surveys made by reformers showed that Mousavi was getting about 58-60 percent of the votes. [...]
Long queues had formed at voting centers and officials said they expected a turnout of about 70 percent or more, approaching the record of nearly 80 percent when reformist Mohammad Khatami swept the 1997 presidential election.
Some people said they had waited for more than two hours to cast ballots, both in northern, affluent areas of Tehran where Mousavi draws support and in southern, poorer neighborhoods seen as Ahmadinejad strongholds.
Fingers crossed. Because if Mousavi does win, it’ll mean a new beginning with Iran.
More as it develops…
This entry was posted on Friday, June 12th, 2009 and is filed under Iran. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
June 12th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
[...] Some important reactions by highly capable fellow bloggers: Andrew Sullivan of The Daily Dish brings attention to some highly possible voter fraud being conducted in Iran; Robert Foley of Lawyers, Guns and Money says don’t be surprised if there is rioting in the streets tonight in Tehran; Justin Gardner of Donklephant says his “gut” tells him we’ll be seeing a Mir Hossein Mousavi victory… [...]
June 16th, 2009 at 3:34 am
HI AGAIN….
I forgot and inadvertently left out something very important in my first and original message to the good people of Iran. I hope that this following addition also goes out to them, accompanying my preceding message.
Do not be MISLED, LULLED, COMPROMISED and FOOLED….BY ANY WORDS or ACTIONS emanating FROM THE self-serving DICTATORSHIP MOUTHS AND megalomaniacal MIND SETS OF “your” SELF-PROCLAIMED
“SUPREME LEADERS”….THEIR 12-member “GUARDIAN COUNCIL” brain-washed stooges and gate-keepers….AND then their LOCK-STEP and elite street hooligan REVOLUTIONARY GUARD(S) theocro-mafia enforcers….all on the slick and sneaky march and the sly.
NOT TO mention THEIR MORE TWISTED TRUE BELIEVERS….WHOSE CRUEL “revolutionary” JOB IS TO MANIPULATE, BLACKMAIL AND TORTURE PRISONERS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE REVOLUTION AGAINST IRAN’S (your country) CORRUPT and INCOMPETENT PERPETUAL REVOLUTIONARY ISLAMIC STATE-DICTATORSHIP….moving on down the road with full and internationally-recognized regalia.
YOU MUST KEEP AND SUSTAIN THE WILL TO MAINTAIN YOUR MOMENTUM….THERE ARE MORE OF YOU THAN THEM….DISCOVER AND MAINTAIN YOUR personal COURAGE….and its character.
THE OLDER PEOPLE MUST REDISCOVER AND RECLAIM THEIR YOUTH, and that of their children, OF ALL AGES….AND THE COMMON VALUES, IDEALS AND BELIEFS WHICH identify and UNITE THEM.
THIS extraordinary moment in time PLACES YOU IN THE EYE AND MEMORY OF history, IN THE EMBRACE OF THE PUBLIC TRUST….and in the crosshairs of those working and wanting you to betray it.
To betray and surrender this revolution BY SLIDING BACKWARDS AT THIS MOST MEMORABLE TURNING POINT OF incredible FAITH AND TRUST….WHERE tricky, vicious and bloody threats AND brutal PRESSURE for you to settle and back down IS BROUGHT FORTH to BEAR AND POUND on you and your interests….where souls and their votes are bought off and BLACKmailed or sold….TO TWIST AND TURN in acts of treachery AGAINST THEIR OWN KIND….
….are all solicited….and done.
YOU MUST RECOGNIZE, SEE AND REJECT ALL OF THIS TRICKERY by those in power….WHO HAVE NO self-destructive DESIRE OR REASON TO HAND OVER WHAT THEY GAINED AND HAVE PERPETUATED by deceit, manipulation, force, coercive law, suppression and oppression.
THERE ARE MORE OF YOU THAN THEM….
It’s your time….and your moment, now.
Take it, seize it….and make the MOST OF IT.
AND PREPARE TO DEFEND IT.
Klitos
in America