7,000 choices for Iraqi election???

[Willy Lee]

Heard it on NPR this morning...

"Many of an estimated 200,000 Iraqis living in neighboring Jordan will be able to cast ballots in the Jan. 30 Iraqi election. But some expatriates say that with 7,000 candidates running they don't have enough information to make an informed choice."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4284273

How on earth will this work? How are Iraqi's able to learn the platforms of the 7,000 running?

[brooklynite]

1. I'm waiting for "Camel Drivers for Truth"...

...to start launching their attack ads.

[kiki]

6. How amusingly racist

Sorry, not to get too serious about it, but one of the reasons the average Joe doesn't give a shit about Iraqis is because of stupid, dehumanizing stereotypes of them living in the stone age, when in fact Iraq is (or was) one of the most developed nations in the middle east.

[txaslftist]

10. You find racism amusing?

[kiki]

12. No, I find sarcasm amusing... ;)

[txaslftist]

9. "I was in Faloojeh, he was never even been there!"

[lebkuchen]

2. Americans usually don't know squat about two candidates by election day

other than the red one is "Christian" and "family values" and the blue one "isn't."

American voters don't go much deeper than that.

[AntiCoup2K4]

3. Well, the mediawhores keep saying Iraq is the same size as Collieforneea..

...so they might as well have as many candidates on the ballot. Doesn't matter anyway. Allawi is going to "win", just as Unocal Karzai "won" Afghanistan.

[txaslftist]

8. edit: It's Kolifaurneea. You mispelled it, girliman.

[lostnfound]

4. Did also they mention that their names are SECRET until election day?

Risk of assassination is too great. So voters go into the booth without knowing what names will be there.

Gee, what great way to ensure that the handpicked candidate gets the most votes.

[aden_nak]

5. There are more Iraqi Candidates in 2005 than US President Candidated EVER.

[txaslftist]

7. I don't care how many candidates, I'm voting straight dem...n/c

[CWebster]

11. Interesting that Iraqi ex-pats can vote while Palistinians can't

Isn't that like allowing Cuban ex-pats to have a say in Cuba's affairs?