iraqi Elections

Today of course is the day iraq votes. Much of what we'd say here has been written elsewhere: that large-scale violence continues in iraq; that voter intimidation will happen in some areas; that major parties have called for a boycott of the election. Is violence-torn, occupied iraq ready for elections?

Update: early reports say iraqi turnout is higher than expected: The London Times, the New York Times. Let's hope this is accurate, it would certainly be a positive development.

Update 3/8/05: Slate has an overview of conservative blogger coverage of an iraqi poll showing optimism for the future. We certainly hope the future is bright too, but the bloggerrati trumpeting the new poll are the same ones that continued insisting on iraqi weapons of mass destruction long after all reasonable people knew they didn't exist. While we here at Nonviolence.org could chime in with daily reports of happy or miserable iraqis and blustering commentary based on ideological slant, the lasting impact of the elections won't be decided by mouse-clutching reporters or bloggers but by the iraqi people themselves.