I haven't been paying attention, but have folks argued that Obama's Cairo speech

[darkstar]

and travels in the region have influenced--large or small--the elections and turn out in both Lebanon and now Iran? If so, can someone point me to the editorials mounting such arguments? If not, what do y'all think?

[BuyingThyme]

1. I don't know.

[masuki bance]

2. Today 6/12

...Obama was asked how closely he was watching the election in Iran.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/06/12/1963335.aspx

He said he was excited to see what he called "robust debate" taking place in the country where voters are hitting the polls today to choose between hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and reformer and former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Moussavi.

He mentioned his speech last week in Cairo and said it was meant to send the message to the region that there was a possibility of change and pointed to the victory of pro-Western forces over Hezbollah in Lebanon's parliamentary elections, without getting into specifics.

"Ultimately the election is for the Iranians to decide," he said. "But just as has been true in Lebanon, can be true in Iran, as well, is that you're seeing people looking at new possibilities and whoever ends up winning the election in Iran, the fact that there's been a robust debate hopefully will help advance our ability to engage them in new ways."

video link- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31320310#31320310

[masuki bance]

3. More-

http://news.google.com/news?um=1&ned=us&hl=en&q=obama+cairo+iran+election&cf=all&as_qdr=d&as_drrb=q

[darkstar]

6. Nice. Thanks for the links.

I'm just wondering if that speech/tour is going to be looked at as a significant turning point in the future. Again, I'm not the best informed person here, but all of this is suddenly striking me as potentially more positive than anything that happened in the region than 8 years of Bush. And if Obama's broader world view and impact with his timely visit had anything to do with it--har to quantify, of course--then it is starting to feel "historic."

[timeforpeace]

4. He got props on the Lebanon results.

So expectations were high on the Iran election. Who knows how that result will be seen.

[babylonsister]

5. In Iran, Mousavi definitely was paying attention to Obama...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8466740&mesg_id=8466740

In Iran Vote, a Challenger Looks to Past