Iraqi vote a huge success

Once again Iraq the Model has the word from the ground. We marched to vote and we respected our differences while Saddam is creeping in his cage chewing on his hatred. From 59 to 64 to 70%...in one year our people have proven that the future belongs to them and not those whose claws scarred Iraq’s neck. A few bombs and some bullets, that’s all what the terrorists could do to interrupt the carnival in Baghdad. The people heard the explosions but those weren’t loud enough to distract the marching hearts from their destination. I saw our policemen yesterday showing their hearts too when they refused to wear their armors, maybe because they didn’t want to let anything stand between our hearts from theirs. I asked an election official about the problems they faced. He answered laughing: “Iraqis are like sweet fruit, and their sweetness lies in their big hearts and meeting them at the voting station yesterday was enjoyable like eating a good plate of sweets! They cast their ballots while I enjoyed the Iraqi symphony of patriotism”. It was a day of happiness for Iraqis and a day of loss for the strangers who thought their camels brought them to a land void of patriots. It is a day we will await to come again for four long years…to do the right thing again or to correct the mistake if we did one yesterday. Such a poetic people. Congratulations Iraq! As it was such a big day I'm going to be checking the major newspapers above the fold headlines, just to see who thought it was as big a deal as the Iraqis do. I'll post those as updates. UPDATE 1: Here's some of the West Coast headlines... Arizona Republic - 3rd largest headline above the fold, "Iraqi Voters Make Point". 70% vote and they only make a point? LATimes - Largest headline above the fold, "Sunnis Join Millions at Iraq Polls". Well done LATimes. OC Register - Largest headline above the fold, "Broad turnout for Iraqi vote". Not too bad. Sacramento Bee - One of 3 headlines below the fold, "Sunni turnout high in Iraqi election". Below the fold? Come on SacBee, that's pitiful. SanFran Chronicle - Largest headline above the fold, "Iraqis Vote by the Millions". Well done. San Diego Union Trib. - 2nd largest headline above the fold, "Big Sunni turnout as 11 million Iraqis vote". Not bad, but is the '03 grocery store strike really more important? Press Enterprise - Only headline below the fold, "Election with big turnout brings day of peace in Iraq". Yeah it's one of two local papers, but still, below the fold? Four other headlines were really more important? The Californian - Largest of 3 headlines above the fold, "Large number of Iraqis vote". The other local paper Ventura County Star - 2nd headline above the fold, "Millions vote in Iraq's parliamentary election". Not too bad. I was hoping more from my old paper the VCStar. Got some more coming... UPDATE 2: Here's the rest of the west coast papers... Seattle Post Intelligencer - Not on the front page... What's going on up there Seattle? That's crap. Seattle Times - Largest headline above the fold, "Iraqi turnout may beat US presidential elections". Better than the other Seattle paper... Oregonian - 2nd largest headline above the fold, "Iraq vote draws millions to polls". Not bad but the large headline is Bush allows spying on citizens. Don't get me started... Las Vegas Review Journal - 2nd largest headline of 3 above the fold, "Many Iraqis cast ballots". Not too bad but who thought up that lame ass title? Anchorage Daily News - Largest headline below the fold, "This time, Sunnis turn out for vote". I was going to give Alaska a pass, but that's pitiful. The only thing above the fold is a small red title the the picture of Iraqis waiting in a long line to vote that would be right on the fold that reads "Ballots - not bombs - ruled the day in Iraq". Honolulu Advertiser - One of three headlines below the fold, "Turnout huge in peaceful Iraq election". Horrible. Less important than Bush ok's spying on citizens and homeowner taxes likely to rise. UPDATE 3: Some of the big east coast papers... New York Times - Largest headline above the fold, "Iraqis, including Sunnis, vote in large numbers on calm day." How very matter of fact. Zero feeling. "A" for the title, "F" for effort. Washington Times - Largest headline above the fold, "Iraqis vote by the millions." Well done. Washington Post - One of three headline above the fold, "Iraqi vote draws big turnout of Sunnis". Right up there with Bush 180 on torture and Bush OK's spying on citizens. Boston Globe - One of three headlines below the fold, "Day relatively peaceful, Sunni turnout large". Sigh. Only thing above the fold is a title to a picture on the fold that reads "Iraqis vote by the millions". UPDATE 4: Some other papers from around the US... Salt Lake Tribune - Largest headline above the fold, "High Iraq tunout prompts new hope". Excellent! Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Largest headline below the fold, "Hard part comes next: Governing". Atlanta, what the hell? I' m a big Braves fan, but are baseball and road construction more important? Only thing above the fold is the title to the picture on the fold which reads, "Iraqi elections". That's awful. USA Today - No headline or story on the front page, just a photo, above the fold, titled "Iraqi turnout soars". Crap. But hey, you can see the story on page four... Chicago Tribune - Largest headline below the fold, "Iraqis swarm polls". At least they've got a big picture above the fold titled, "Election day in Iraq", but the two stories above the fold are crap, Midway buys land and "Does this bus seat make me look fat" Sigh. Miami Hearld - Largest headline above the fold, "Iraqis jam polls for historic vote". Very good Miami! Times-Picayune (New Orleans) - No picture, but a headline for story on page 22, "Iraqis turn out in droves for parliamentary elections". OK the major headline is the $3.1 billionto fix the levees, but not even a picture on the front page? Just a headline to a story burried on page 22. Star Tribune (Minn.) - Largest headline above the fold, "A huge turnout in Iraq". Good job. I wasn't expecting much from the Trib. Austin American Statesman - Largest headline below the fold, "Turnout may top 70 percent". The picture is on the fold with a small title above it reading "In Iraq, a quiet election day". Could be better. I mean is a law against panhandling really more important? St. Louis Post Dispatch - 2nd largest headline above the fold, "Turnout high, violence low in Iraq". Pretty good. Philadelphia Inquirer - Largest headline above the fold, "Turnout high, violence low; Now the counting". Very good Philly! Cincinnati Enquirer - Largest headline above the fold, "High turnout in Iraqi elections". Way to go Cincy! Arkansas Democrat Gazette - 2nd largest headline above the fold, "Myriads of Iraqis turn out on foot to travel to polls". Pretty good. I gave them a bonus point for "myriads." It is Arkansas after all... Wisconsin State Journal - Largest headline above the fold, "Iraqi vote gets large turnout". Really good. Houston Chronicle - One of four headlines below the fold, "Heavy turnout in Iraq". And it's just the title to the picture, the story is on page 23! Fort Worth Star Telegram - Largest headline above the fold, "Vote by vote, Iraqis usher in a new era". Very good! Dallas Morning News [updated, forgot the DMN link]- Largest headline above the fold, "Millions of Iraqis cast their ballots". Excellent. Albequerque Journal - One of two headlines below the fold, "Millions vote for Iraqi Parliament". Because DWI cases and train stations are more important, and no picture either! Santa Fe New Mexican - 2nd largest headline above the fold, "Iraq Elections: 'This is our destiny'". Better than Albequeque... Concord Monitor - 3rd larget headline above the fold, "Election day for Iraq". But the story is on page 2.