What we did in the 1960s is very relevant. It shows how the policy works in practice. It is absolute folly to assume that a vehicle that works well with one population group, in one cultural setting, is of universal applicability. Frankly, I think it is very naive to suppose that popular government--I disdain the term Democracy, because that is not what we are supposed to have under the Constitution--is still working as it used to in America.
The level of our politics has precipitated downword over the past Century--save only for the brief reversal of the trend under Reagan. Just compare the level of the speeches now and in the 19th Century, in our campaigns. Or look at the judicial arrogance, in foisting leftwing social values on America; or the pandering in Congress to special interests.
What should tell the tale of how foolish the Democracy mantra is, when applied arbitrarily in the Third World, is that no one even discusses how voting rights should be qualified! Can you imagine running a business, where no one even inquired as to the qualifications that you required for management positions?!
There are certainly incidental benefits to some aspects of what Mr. Bush is doing. I applauded his prompt efforts to go after bin Laden and the actual terrorists. I gave him the benefit of the doubt on the decision to invade Iraq. But this one person, one vote "Democracy," in what is really several distinct nations, placed together in an Administrative unit, is not in my opinion either fair or wise. Time will tell, of course, whether there is a net benefit or net loss to the United States, which should be our litmus test. (I do not mean that we should do anything dishonorable. But there is certainly nothing dishonorable in working with people within their own traditional structures and heritage.)
I think once again you underestimate GWB with "Democracy", as we all know the real objective is liberty, democracy simply is more likely to produce liberty than say, autocracy. Bush knows this, as has stressed "freedom" as much as he has "democracy", "democracy" has in the modern usage been used to quickly connote the concept representative government and self-determination.
I don't think Bush in a speech on the big picture wants to get in to the minutia of the political philosophy on the difference between a pure democracy and a democratic republic.