Sunday, December 19, 2004

Too Dumb to Make Mistakes?

W, the Perfect, insists that Iraq will have elections on January 30. He's made up is mind (the war mind remember; he makes decisions with war on his mind he proudly told 60 Minutes).

Never mind that they have to organize an election for 21 million people in country and 3 million expatriots. (Florida, I doubt, or even Ohio could pull off an election after a hurricane or blizzard respectively with only 45 days to prepare.) What is the rationale for the choice of date and inflexibility of it? Here's W's laser-like argument:

"I believe it's necessary for the Iraqi people to vote on January 30th because it provides an opportunity for people to participate in democracy."

So, his reasoning is that the Iraqis must vote to have the opportunity to vote. A classic non sequitur (it doesn't follow). Apparently such a patently lame argument was persuasive though in as much as the American electorate just handed him four more years to govern.

Now, what will happen, I predict, is there will be some things happen on January 30th that will be photographed and reported as the "free elections" in Iraq and the US media echo chamber will play and replay the words and images until the American public is convinced that everything was legitimate. That is critical for the Bush effort.

As one retired general put it, "Whatever happens with the elections, the administration is going to argue they were a great success. Whether the facts sustain that argument or contradict it very much remains to be seen."

Take my advice folks and look carefully for the facts in places other than Fox News (and Clear Channel radio).