In Iran, a council of religious "experts" pick candidates that the people vote on [View All]

In the USA, a council of partisan and media "experts" pick candidates that the people vote on. I'm really no longer convinced that our way is that much better.

Anyways, the election in Iran tomorrow will be very important. The pro-reformist movement is at a critical moment: if candidates in the mold of Rafsanjani can make some gains it would be the kind of check on Iranian conservatism that people are calling our recent midterms on American conservatism. However, if Ahmadi-Najad's picks take over most of the towns (these elections are for municipal offices only, but these are much more powerful and prominant positions in Iran than in the US) then the conservative faction is pretty much fixed in place. It will also mark Ahmadi-Najad's full conversion from a firebrand populist to a firebrand religious conservative... which is quite a shame, from my perspective. However, that's the corner we have backed Iran into by invading the countries on both sides of it.