Posted on 01/30/2005 7:57:33 AM PST by kattracks
Preliminary reports that turnout in Sunday's Iraq election has topped 70 percent have surprised American reporters, many of whom had predicted that terrorists would succeed in sabotaging the U.S.- backed referendum."I have to say, it's going a lot better than I thought it would," Rod Nordland, Newsweek's Baghdad bureau chief, said Sunday as the numbers came in. "The attacks by the insurgents, while they're numerous, haven't reached that kind of critical threshold where it really kept everybody home," he told the Fox News Channel.
With an hour left to go before the polls in Iraq close, Reuters reported that turnout had reached 72 percent nationwide. Election officials in Shiite areas say turnout there may top 90 percent.
Initial voter response was slow as the polls opened late Saturday U.S. time, but increased dramatically after threats of spectacular attacks failed to materialize. Of 5300 polling stations, only 15 reported attacks. 29 people were killed, including five police officers.
"Once it seemed like the worst was over, [voters] came out in very large numbers," Nordland said. While Sunni turnout was lower, "it was a lot better than would have been expected."
Oh, I love that picture, AP; it makes me want to cry!
> Sgt. Tom Blair guards Iraqi detainees accused of threatening people from voting, in the town of Jisr Diala on the southern outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq (news - web sites) Sunday, Jan. 30, 2005. Soldiers from the U.S. National Guard 1-161 Infantry detained three men after local residents said they had been threatening them not to vote in Sunday's landmark election.(AP Photo/John Moore)
The MSM will find SOME way to cover this negative.
I can just see Dan Rather now: "Iraqi voter turnout was somewhat high, but many voters complained about the ink stain that was left on their index finger...."
72%. That's astounding!
I have noted a not-so-subtle U-turn in the coverage, especially on the local LSM stations. PA stations are re-running all the expat voter stories.
In short, now that it appears to be well on the way to success, the LSM are its biggest proponents!
Will somebody make sure the LSM gets a hand-delivered memo that they are OVER!!!!
He was about to say "I HATE to say" but caught himself in time.
Can we send David "Boils" Boies over there permanently?
Is it possible (say it isn't so) that President Bush is actually somehow correct about the popularity of this liberty stuff? Even the primitive Arabs are attracted to it? How can this be? They have lived this way for millions, maybe billions, of years. They're not ready for freedom! < /sarcasm>
Misson Accomplished. Now where is my 2 dollars?
If I can find a transcript I will post it. Many Freepers saw the same interview. He was on Fox & Friends Friday morning. He was quite dour and very negative.
E.D. asked him about his opinions on the upcoming elections and he said "IT WILL BE A BLOODBATH". Some Freepers reported he said the same thing on O'Reilly's show Friday night.
Because I think Harrigan is credible I was very scared for these elections. He was wrong.
BTW, on Fox & Friends, Harrigan also attacked Brian Kilmeade. He thought Brian was not asking a question but stating an opinion and was very condescending to Kilmeade.
Not a very impressive appearance.
Im sorry to hear all of that, I like Steve.
My wife just watched the FNC and said: "Anything the MSM said about President BUSH has been proven WRONG!!!" I couldn't agree more.
It'll be called voter intimidation because the blue inking reminds people of slave branding and they won't vote.
Can't find transcript but Kilmeade did an article posted on Fox that had the following line:
"One reporter, Steve Harrigan, came on he made it clear he expects a bloodbath. My feeling is: lets just wait and see."
http://ad-server-d10.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,145707,00.html
>72 percebt?<
Now if only the apathetic, media believing American citizen would just take the same attitude and interest as the Iraqis and the Ukrainians regarding OUR freedom from the encroaching New World Order, or the One World Government before the last door to OUR freedom is slammed shut against us - I would breath far easier.
That's because the terrorist aren't fighting for Iraqis, the terrorists are fighting on behalf of Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Dick Gephardt, Dan Rather, Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw, Jacques Chirac and Ted Turner -- lefto-fascists all. So they call them "insurgents" and even "freedom fighters" -- because the terrorists are fighting for them not for the Iraqi people, who know them for what they really are.
Democrats would happily allow (and even cheer) the death of Iraqis - to the very last one - in order to diminish America and Bush.
Democrats are a moral stain upon human-kind.
They still won't bring themselves to accept the fact that this election is a success!
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