Bush or Kerry? In Baghdad, political passions run high
-- Snip --
Bush has a fierce cadre of devoted followers, mainly among Shiites and Kurds who suffered under Saddam Hussein. They are the silent minority.
Abbas (not his real name) is one of them. Every morning as he's leaving the house he pauses by the door. "I put my faith in God," he says, according to Muslim tradition. Then he takes a little picture of George W. Bush out of his wallet, and kisses it.
"And then I put the picture of George W. Bush back in my wallet, so it will be like a prayer," says Abbas, a video store owner.
"I made a vow: that whoever saved me from Saddam, I will kiss him every morning," says Abbas, his craggy face cracking into a grin. "So believe me, I kiss George Bush every morning."
Abbas may be in the distinct minority, but he represents an invaluable group: They'd be sure to vote, because they believe the future of their country is at stake.
"If George W. Bush loses the presidency, Iraq will lose freedom," says Abbas. "If John Kerry wins, he will withdraw the American Army. He will let the terrorists come in and do lots of things that will make Iraq less safe."
Abbas gets it
A Kerry win would be a horrible defeat to hand Americans and the world. But then, it seems, that is what Mr. Kerry knows best.
Yes, Abbas does get it, but unfortunately, the writer of that article does not. The Shiia and Kurds are not the silent minority. The Shiia are approximately 60% of the population and the Kurds are 20%, so the Shiia and the Kurds represent 80% of the population of Iraq.