Iranian bloggers discuss Obama’s Iowa victory · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several Iranian bloggers are discussing the victory of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama in Iowa. It was the first nominating contest of the 2008 presidential election. Some rejoice in Obama’s victory, while others evaluate what  impact “Obama as President” would have on Iranian political life.
Farhad Afshar reflects on [Fa] how the majority of the population in Iowa are white but still preferred to vote for a black candidate. The blogger also writes:
… the whispers of a Democratic candidate winning the US presidential election could soften the dark and frozen atmosphere in Iran. Iran's current president – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – was elected two years ago to face the foreign threat of having Iran considered a part of the ‘axis of evil’. Two years ago, Iran could have been attacked any moment, and a person was chosen to counter the foreign pressure. If the foreign threat diminishes, a slow democratic movement can go forward. Obama's ideas on foreign affairs and Iran make reformists happy… maybe some do not know but peace and dialogue is like poison for a group whose political existence relies on violence and war.
Neghano considers [Fa] the American election a great achievement of democracy and says that democracy in the USA is the fruit of 300 years of effort and civil society struggle, and did not happen in a night.
Nikahang Kosar, a cartoonist and journalist says [Fa] the message of Obama is “change” and that the youth supports him, even though Hillary Clinton still looks more likely to be elected in many states. The blogger says that Obama’s middle name is Hussein, and that many right wing media want to make people believe he is linked with Islamist radicals. Nikahang says many Americans are afraid of Moslem and Islamic names. Finally the blogger adds that if Obama wins the presidential election, the dream of Martin Luther King will finally become a reality.
Amin has misunderstood [Fa] Obama’s religious background. Although the media discuss Obama's Christian belief, this blogger says a black Moslem is on the road to become next American president. The blogger adds that some right wing media want to make people believe he is an extremist Islamist, but many think he is a secular Moslem.
Nonoghalam says [Fa] that a leading Israeli newspaper, Haaretz , attributed the least points to Obama among all candidates. According to the blogger, the value base was each candidate's apparent support for Israel. Barack wants direct talks with Iran.
Farrad02 writes in the Iranian.com blog:
… the basic reason for Hillary's fizzle (in my view) was the fact that she forgot the most important rule of American electioneering: In the party primaries you run as a passionate radical (in her case as a far left liberal) to ensure the maximum appeal to your party's faithful base! Then once you have won the nomination, you move back to the center and run for the national elections as a centrist! I'm very surprised that Hillary forgot this basic rule and has been running a centrist campaign, as if she has already won the nomination and she is running against the Republican finalist!