IMHO, Ahmadinezhād would have won anyway(, I explained my perspective on the outcome here). You cannot compare an Iranian landslide with an American landslide (not even with the almighty Reagan involved). Like parts of America, in Iran, the local religious leaders (which obviously get instructed by the Ayatollah) tell the electorate which candidate pleases God, but unlike the U.S. the religious landscape is much more homogenous (90% Shi'a), so the Imams only have to shout from their towers for whom to vote and it simply happens. That's what happens when there is no separation of church and state... Maybe the young urban intelligentsia was not aware of the importance of that fact either.

by eborujion on 06/14/2009 04:20:26 PM EST