Actually Repercussions of Obama in Cairo

So I agree with those who say that while Obama's Cairo speech was pretty, it was kind of shrug-worthy. On Baheyya, there's interesting analysis of his response to the Iranian protest crack-downs: maybe this will mean something for Egyptian elections.

Still, in light of Obama’s forceful and precise words yesterday directed at Iran’s rulers, at least a portion of whom are actually elected, I’m going to await some equally strong words directed at Egypt’s ruler, who dares not put himself up for a real election. I’ll be looking for the American president’s condemnation of Egyptian police brutality and solidarity with citizens who “insist that their votes are counted and their voices heard.” And when police block roads to polling stations and break up peaceful election rallies so that the opposition doesn’t make gains, I’ll be waiting to hear Obama’s emphasis on “the universal right to free assembly and free speech.”

The rest of her post is a list of other ways that Egyptian elections are more diluted than the Iranian elections were. The obvious problem is that we get excited about elections when they could spell something good for us, and we tend to stay silent when they mean religious groups get elected. Time will tell.