... and in a bit of a landslide. I'm still kind of agnostic about the guy (though not towards the opposition; they're scum).
But I do think Kevin Drum makes an important point:
It's one thing to denounce Chávez's methods, which are indeed incendiary and authoritarian, but it's quite another to approve of a military coup as a way of removing him from office, and this is one reason that I'm less than convinced that the neocon devotion to democracy promotion is genuine. Everybody says they're in favor of democracy, but it only means something if you support it even when the winner is someone you loathe. If neocons weren't willing to denounce a military coup in Venezuela two years ago, what are the odds that they'll continue sticking up for democracy in Iraq if the majority there turns out to be hostile to the U.S. — as is likely to be the case? Pretty slim, I'd say.
Right-wing governments just can't seem to stop losing elections this year: Spain, France, South Korea. Now, India. I know of another candidate.
Josh Marshall makes the obvious but important point about the totally under-reported South Korean election today:
It is the continuance of a global trend in which elections in countries allied to the United States are being won by parties advocating loosening ties with America. Running against America -- or really against George W. Bush makes for great politics almost everywhere in the world.We saw it in South Korea two years ago. Then later that year in Germany. Recently in Spain. And now again in Korea -- with many other examples along the way.
Each election had its own internal dynamics. But in each case opposition to the policies of the Bush administration became a salient, even defining issue.
Let's not forget Latin America -- specifically Venezuela and Brazil -- where "loosening ties" would be just a bit of an understatement.
Perhaps John Kerry was right?