>>>Are you speaking about population centers like Chicago or New York that vote so very different than the rest of their respective states? We do it here and they can do it there.
First, the difference in support for the President Bush in the 2004 election were not as distinct as those in the recent Iraqi election. In NYC, W received 25% of the vote. In the rest of the state he received 48%. In Shia areas of Iraq the Constitution received over 90% approval. In Sunni areas, it received less than 10% approval. That is a considerably larger difference.
Second, having lived in Upstate NY, I know that if given the option, they would probably choose separation from the NY metropolitan area. But the constitution and the Congress prevent that from happening.
Third, I'm not advocating breaking Iraq up. I'm just not hopeful that it will remain a unified country once we leave.
constitution = Constitution
As an illinois resident I understand the notion that rural areas want to exit the control of population centers.
I will offer to you that the real reason the vote appears so much different there surrounds the very differing culture. Places here are diverse wheras there, tribes live in a form of apartied. If people here lived in groupings as they do there I would offer that our vote would look more similar to theirs.
Example: take the west coast and the midwest population centers and have them vote in one group, then take Rural cali and rural midwest and have them vote in one group. I would offer you see much the same results as we see in Iraq.
The constitution they voted on provided for a minority of three provinces to oust it. Sunni's failed among their own electorate. I think this is most telling thing about the election and I think it shows the world that ALL the sunni's are not on the same page, even if most of them are.