What Iraqi Bloggers Are Saying About the Election

A coup for Jessica McBride: she went to blogs maintained by Iraqis to see how they viewed today’s election.

Some typical comments (and by all means go read the full original texts):

Everyone is counting down towards the elections’ day. I’ll go to vote, and I hope that all of the Iraqis will do just the same.

BAPTISM OF BLOOD. Hi, The historical elections are upon us. And again the Iraqis are showing their incredible courage. Candidates are being assassinated on daily basis. Even poster workers are being shot and targeted by the dozens. Car bombings and suicide bombings have become almost routine occurrences. Death and intimidation all over the place; but does that stop anybody? Not in the least.

The Purple Revolution Very soon, Iraq’s mosques will call upon believers to wake up and pray, shortly thereafter, a Greek ghost named DEMOCRACY will call upon all Iraqis, believers and non-believers, Muslims and Christians, Kurds and Arabs, Sunnis and Shi’a, Turkomen and Yezedis, everyone over the age of 18 to go and vote for the first full-term democratic government in the history of this ancient land.

In less than 12 hours the poll station will be open. Of course there is a curfew, so we have to walk. But who cares??. This is the biggest elections any Iraqi could ever participate in.

All the Arab and Islamic countries in the region are ruled by dictators and they will do anything to stay in their “chairs” forever.Mr. President you started something and yes you are responsible to go on and never stop until democracy is a worldwide spoken language and a way of life. And that will be the Total Victory.

Different issues are crowding in my mind. The most important one, for now, is the parliamentary election to take place tomorrow. It is the most significant milestone to reach in the long march of achieving peaceful democratic New Iraq.

It’s all too easy for Americans, especially those who dislike George Bush, to decide that Iraqis don’t want democracy or aren’t ready for democracy.

But those naysayers are on the wrong side of history, just as they were during the Reagan presidency.