Elections in Iraq

The NY Times and the Arab News both seem to favor the consensus, that the Iraqi Parlimentary elections are a big sucess. 70% of the nation turned out to vote, which includes a large part of the Sunni population, who had boycotted earlier elections.

The prevailing thought is that the Sunni protest of earlier elections was more about fear of being killed, than opposing democratic elections.

There were reportedly few attacks, an indication that insurgent groups are weakening or dividing, as recent reports about that the Iraqi insurgency is having large internal problems between the Iraqi nationalists and the supporters of Zarqawi's network, Al Queda in Mesopotamia.

Are these elections regrettable? Are they a false facade of democracy? Is Saddam Hussein preferable?

I wonder what Dean, Huffington, think. Do they read the news coverage and say to themselves, "Shit." Do they secretly long for Iraq to remain a quagmire?

UPDATE: Apparently some time last week Baathist insurgents got a promise from Zarqawi not to step up attacks for the election. The reason: they don't see fighting America and voting as mutually exclusive. They'll try to win at the ballot box and on the battlefield.