You Wanted Democracy, You Got It

So the violent terrorist organization Hamas, a group that has carried out dozens of suicide bombings in Israel over the last few years, a bunch of armed militants who refuse peace talks and actively work for the bloody destruction of the only stable Democracy in the Middle East, has won a landslide victory in Palestinian elections. How does the President reconcile his mighty speech-ifyin' about how his policies are spreading freedom in the Middle East with the reality of the fact that Palestinians have freely elected a violent terrorist organization to govern them? Simple: He doesn't. The man can only speak in campaign rhetoric. Hell, maybe he can only think in campaign rhetoric. At his press conference today when he was asked about the landslide electoral victory of an group that he himself has referred to as a terrorist organization, all he could do was fall back on generic talking points. He says this election is "a wake-up call" sent by people who are "unhappy with the status quo"; he says it "reminds me of the power of democracy"; well that sounds wonderful. He also says Hamas is "a party with which we will not deal." Great. Where does that leave us? Fearless Leader didn't say.

So will right-wing media be filled with smiling Muslims waving purple fingers at the camera tonight? Somehow I doubt it. As for the Palestinians, they are waiving a finger not just at the "status quo" but also at the West today. It's just not the finger we were hoping for.