CM:

The Islamic Republic of Iran may not be a democracy, but Iran’s leadership does take voter turnout seriously. The Supreme Leader regularly beseeches Iranians to vote, and various regime officialsand even Iran’s de facto lobbyists in the United States do cite voter participation as a sign of legitimacy.

Too many U.S. newspapers, on cue, play along. Here is Thomas Erdbrink, the Tehran-based New York Times correspondent, for example:

Iranians lined up at polling places in such numbers on Friday that Iranian election officials extended the voting three separate times, first by two hours, then four hours and finally five hours…

And here is Erin Cunningham reporting from Istanbul for theWashington Post:

Iranian officials began counting votes early Saturday after heavy turnout in a pivotal presidential election that could either boost Iran’s engagement with the world or possibly plunge the country back into greater diplomatic isolation. ...

And Emma Graham-Harrison, reporting from Tehran for The Guardian under the headline “Iran election: huge turnout in presidential poll after bitter contest.”

Perhaps rather than simply cheerlead the pageantry of election day, it would be worthwhile for Iran-based reporters to visit provincial towns and cities and find out. Then again, the Iranian government probably would not let them, and with good reason.

 

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