Is an election a failure if religious fundamentalists win?

[yurbud]

This seems to be the premise of reactions on right and left.

We, our surrogates, or (god forbid) the locals themselves put together a relatively clean election, but it will be pronounced a failure of democracy by the right if it produces a Hugo Chavez, or more broadly condemned if it produces a Hamas.

What is the correct reaction?

[Warpy]

1. Legal and fair elections that produce winners we don't like

are still democratic and still constitute a fair election, and that is a success.

If a legal and fair election had elevated Stupid to the presidency, there would be far less grumbling. However, we are protected from bad outcomes through democracy by a little something called the Bill of Rights. Or we should be.

Legal and fair elections aren't that easy to achieve, as we all now know all too well. Anyone who wins such an election has to be afforded the respect he deserves as head of state, and the CIA needs to butt the hell out.

We don't have to like the people who get elected.

[Double T]

2. Separation of Church and State...........

For ALL the obvious reasons.

[BOSSHOG]

3. Irony

Its amazing why a religious fundamentalist would run for public office in a democratic republic. Such people abhor freedom and if elected would do everything to overturn our freedoms and the constitution. A free and fair election? - YES. A failure if they win? - NO The last election you are allowed to participate in if they get elected? - An excellent probability.

[yurbud]

4. here too as we are already living

[yurbud]

5. freeper trolls are free to vote too.