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."
BTTT!!!!
I can triple guarantee you that there are no elections anywhere near Baghdad!
Harrigan.....one of the most dour journalists I have ever seen. The man depresses me just looking at him
"Is the press aware that 70% is higher than the percentage of registered voters who participated in the 2004 United States Presidential election?"
I'd guess that they are and it only adds to MSM's bitterness.
The liberal media hoped that terrorism will sabotage the elections, in order to bash a little more the president, the US foreign politics and our troops there. IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, and now our poor pundits stay bewildered. Give them the finger! LOL
ROFL!!
While you, I, and millions of Iraqi's and Americans revel in the victory.
May they (Leftists) wallow in their muck and mire, drinking heavily of the poisons they secrete.
YAYAY!!!!!!! no one deserves to be happier than our CIC and our proud military that had the vision and the heart to give FREEDOM to a people that are EMBRACING IT!!!
ROFL; I've forgotten all about Baghdad Bob...Is he reporting on CBS?
American reporters,[socialist/communists] many of whom had predicted [were praying] that terrorists would succeed in sabotaging [keeping freedom from flourishing in Iraq and failed much to the chagrin of reporters] the U.S.- backed referendum has been a huge success despite freedom haters across the world
I, too, was rather disappointed in Harrigan. Guess he was wrong about the "bloodbath" prediction he made. And he's been over there. Hmm?
And Bush will say its not important about being a victory for him as he will see it as a victory for freedom and the Iraqi people.
That post says it all
My brother, a hard-core Moore-type lefty, has been so pessimistic I finally told him it must be very depressing to be that way. His response was he was "realistic". Well, I suppose there are any number of potential "realities", but why always pick the bad one.
In honor of today, I am going back to an old tagline of mine...
It sure puts disenfranchisment in perspective.
The whiners in the US:
There were cops patrolling the voting place.
There were long lines.
It was raining/cold/snowing....
Maybe what we got to do to get more turnout in the US, is to tell people they can't vote. People love to do want their told not to..
I dunno. 72% sounds like a quantity to me.
I think they came up with that word last night, and didn't get the most recent fax update from the DNC, or something.
The "truth" always seams to stun and shock the liberal press...
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