Electoral excitement in Iran

Juan Cole has a long post today summarizing and linking to media reports on the pre-election excitement in Iran.

It is interesting that in many countries where effective elections do not exist, elections, public opinion polls on politics, and so forth are a real if subordinate part of the political system.

Of course in Iran there have been pro-democratic movements since 1905, a fact I imagine enters into the world view of very few non-Iranians.

Image: Yesterday's pro-Mousavi demonstration, from the Wall Street Journal.