In Iran Vote, a Challenger Looks to Past

[babylonsister]

In Iran Vote, a Challenger Looks to Past

By FARNAZ FASSIHI


TEHRAN, Iran -- In one of the most extraordinary presidential campaigns Iran has seen, reformist candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has borrowed tactics from two seemingly divergent political movements: Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, and President Barack Obama's run for the White House.

The strategy spawned an odd mix of Iranian revolution-era songs -- a famous one begins, "The devil is leaving and the angel is coming" -- tied to modern campaign tactics Mr. Mousavi's advisers say they ripped straight from the Obama playbook.

Associated Press

Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi's campaign employed tactics including Facebook pages and a YouTube video clip. Above, some of his supporters cheer at a final rally in Tehran before the Friday vote.

Iran's voters go to the polls Friday; a record turnout is expected. The race is viewed as largely between Mr. Mousavi and incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a harsh U.S. critic and conservative figure. Two other candidates, reformist cleric Mehdi Karroubi and conservative Mohsen Rezaie, are also running.

Polling isn't reliable, so it is tough to gauge who is in front. Iranian elections can yield surprising results, but most analysts say it might be a close race and could even go into a runoff.

Regardless of the result, Iranian politics have entered uncharted territory.

Mr. Mousavi in particular ran an energetic dark-horse campaign that startled the nation with some of its strategies.

An architect and former prime minister, he has pledged to overhaul the economy, reinstate relative social freedoms and re-engage politically with the U.S. and other Western nations.

His chief strategist is Mohamad Reza Jalaeipour, a 26-year-old doctorate student of sociology. Mr. Jalaeipour says he developed many of his campaign ideas after obsessively watching the Obama campaign unfold on satellite television and online at his parents' apartment in Tehran.

"I was fascinated by what was happening in the U.S. and hopeful that we can also mobilize our own people in the same way," Mr. Jalaeipour said.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124476476473408385.html#mod=article-outset-box

[monmouth]

1. I hope the first congratulatory call he receives is from President Obama...n/t