Iraq votes for freedom... congrats President Bush!

Today will go down in history as one of the greatest days in Middle Eastern history. Freedom comes to Iraq officially with an estimated 60% voter turnout! Woo hoo!!! One day this seed of freedom will grow throughout the entire region and President Bush's vision will become a reality.

What a great day for human rights as oppression ends and freedom begins in Iraq! Even if you disagree with the war, surely even you libs can agree with that and give President Bush a little credit on one of his greatest accomplishments.

I for one say a hearty well done President Bush!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,145825,00.html

No.

Congrats to the tens of thousands of brave soldiers and civilians who personally risked their lives following a plan that was made hastily and without proper support. Congrats them for putting their lives on the line for a plan that was completely ass backwards, and for making things work despite the cowboy efforts of our misguided, though well-intentioned leader.

All Bush did was say, "We're invading" while everyone else did the hard work, and pay for it.

<generic politically charged response>

Exactly, Lance.

Do you remember the thread where I simply posted the word "Bush"?

Hmm... while better than a dictatorship in a lot of ways, democracy is not synonymous with freedom.

Oddly, this is a mistake that both liberals and conservatives seem to make consistently. My guess is that it has to do with cold war propaganda seeping into the standard issue consciousness of the public, but I could be wrong.

Either way, until the Iraqis have a means of protecting themselves from their own government and other forms of organized violence, it would be an error to call it freedom, IMO.

"Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice" - Barry Goldwater

60% of what? Could you be more specific?

Party approved voters?

Maybe you didn't see it but I did provide the link.

"60% of eligible voters", or 8 million people. An awsome turnout in anyone's book!

I will give you the benefit of doubt and assume that you have no earthly idea how the chain of command works Hiro. President Bush gives the orders; the soldiers and civilian volunteers follow them.

If you are going to blame President Bush for the failures you have to give him credit for the successes. You cannot have it both ways. This thread is about a clear success as Iraqi voters faced the distinct possibility of death and voted anyway and a well done to our President for making it possible.

BTW, this thread has nothing to do whatsoever with how, when or why the war was started, whether it is just, hasty, supported, ass backwards, misguided, religious or not. Let’s keep on track here.

Iraq has a population of about 24 million. If 8 million voted, that means they have a voter turnout of 33% of every person in Iraq including children. We know that children didn't vote and about 41.1% of the population is under the age of 15. That leaves about 9,864,000 left to vote. So that number of 8 million would mean that 81.1% of the population voted. Nobody is going to believe that. I most certainly do not.

Keep in mind that ex-pats in dozens of other countries were also eligible to vote.

ah good call. We'll see in a couple of weeks regardless. My feeling is these early numbers look cooked. But since Fox is the linked source / small wonder

Hehe, I hear ya. I'm trying to keep an open mind until we have verification.

Argue with Fox news and ABC news (was said on the evening report), not me.

There were 14 million eligible voters and an estimated 8 million voted. Those are the facts as reported by practically every mainstream news outlet.

Well of course it is an evil, pre-ponderous lie instigated by FOXnews on behalf of the Prez. Has to be doesn't it ????

Kendra, a brickwall is red.

The problem with generalizations ('nobody' or 'everybody') is that all it takes is one person contrary to the statement to render it false.

I've seen eligible voter turnout rates that high myself before. Not in the US, and not in the last decade, but it has happened before. So it's not outside the realm of possibility.

We do not know your source for these figures but it is doubtful that they are accurate… linky please.

Here is my link from MSNBC, a reputable news source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6844715

Here is what is says:
“Who was eligible to vote?
Iraqis 18 and over were eligible, about 15 million of a population of about 26 million. The election register was based on the ration list, a relic of U.N. sanctions.
Voters had to bring two forms of photo identification to a polling station. After voting, their names were crossed off the register and their thumbs marked with indelible ink to prevent double voting.”

Seen any that high in the midst of a civil war? You're right about the "nobody" mention -- I should have said "nobody" with a brain.

Not if you live in Skokie, Illinois.

The sky is blue on a sunny day.

And I knew you'd come up with this hence my point.

Ever heard of Afghanistan???

"In Afghanistan's October election, 8.2 million showed up at the polls a turnout of about 70 percent."

South Afrtica recently had a large turnout too.

"In South Africa's election in April, 15.9 million showed up, or more than 76 percent of 20.6 million registered voters. "

Linky: http://www.boston.com/dailynews/030/wash/Voter_turnout_in_Iraq_reflects:.shtml

Here is a challenge for ya "El-Libo". Find at least one reputable news source that claims a number that is lower.

Only if it is made with red bricks.

Only if those bricks are forged from the souls of orphans!