Elections in Iraq

I was just reading a story about the elections in Iraq, phrased in terms of potential voter support for various leaders and parties. An amazing thing to read, really. But of course Iraq is still extremely troubled, and the experience of democracy has left many Iraqis nostalgic for Saddam:

Some Iraqiya supporters see Allawi as a potential benevolent authoritarian ruler -- a form of leadership many Iraqis say they would welcome after seven years of bloodshed and lawlessness.

"If Ayad wins, he will become a dictator," said Ahlam Aboud Karim, 33, as she shopped for vegetables in central Baghdad. "If we have a strong man, we don't need a democracy. A strong leader is better. Democracy won't work in Iraq."

I expect that Allawi would actually muddle on as the current administration has, and we can only hope that the desire of most Iraqis for normal life will gradually assert itself against the bombers and other rejectionists.