State Dept reporter wonders: Was papal election “free and fair”?
QUESTION: Can I just ask you: Does the United States regard the election of the Pope to – that election to have met international standards for the election of a world leader? (Laughter.) He is, after all, a head of state, and a head of government. Does it follow? Does it – you routinely criticize countries or governments for having elections where there is not universal suffrage, where there is not any possibility of appealing the results, where there is not – where there were no monitors, for example. I’m wondering if this meets the standard for a free and fair election in your mind.
MS. NULAND: Well, I think the world has watched this conclave go forward as it’s gone forward in history down the centuries.
QUESTION: Today, it seems like it would be the – it’s probably the least transparent election. (Laughter.) I mean, it’s more opaque than an election in North Korea or Iraq under Saddam Hussein.
Blowback
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Is that you, Bluto?
Dusty on March 15, 2013 at 12:16 PM
Universal suffrage is communism.
ninjapirate on March 15, 2013 at 12:19 PM
Somebody stole their hearing aids?
Seth Halpern on March 15, 2013 at 12:19 PM
Oh brother! Was this suppose to be funny? It sure wasn’t, IMO!
L
letget on March 15, 2013 at 12:20 PM
We don’t pretend that the Church is anything but an autocratic institution.
Having said that, there is a gross mischaracterization here. The appropriate parallel is not the popular election of the President of the US, but the selection of the Speaker of the House by the Congressmen. Or, I dunno, the Electoral College’s role in electing the President? :p
Scott H on March 15, 2013 at 12:21 PM
Wow, that’s a real good point after 2 bowls. I should go make a comment on HuffPo about it.
Population of Vatican City in 2012: 836, about 700 of them clergy, all of whom were born outside the Vatican and freely swore allegiance to the Pope.
What did PJ O’Rourke say? “Life is full of ironies for the stupid.”
HitNRun on March 15, 2013 at 12:22 PM
Good grief.
Ward Cleaver on March 15, 2013 at 12:25 PM
Jimmy Carter reportedly satisfied with election process in the Vatican, although he suggests the burning of the ballots should be reformed due to global warming concerns.
BobMbx on March 15, 2013 at 12:30 PM
I think that exchange actually killed a couple of my brain cells.
trigon on March 15, 2013 at 12:30 PM
If only Jimmy Carter has parachuted into Vatican City to monitor the election …
Pork-Chop on March 15, 2013 at 12:31 PM
(fix)
If only Jimmy Carter had parachuted into Vatican City to monitor the election …
Pork-Chop on March 15, 2013 at 12:32 PM
And just how did Bishop get into a State Dept briefing?
BobMbx on March 15, 2013 at 12:33 PM
Dear Ms. Nuland – Who is it that actually runs the government of the Vatican on a day-to-day basis? Is that person elected or appointed? And, finally, how many people live on that postage stamp Nation called the Vatican, anyways, and how many are just commuters from Italy?
Just asking!
ajacksonian on March 15, 2013 at 12:42 PM
The initial reaction here seems to be dismissive laughter. But in the coming decades this line will increasingly be used against Christians, not just the Catholics. The U.S. government has developed an appetite for swallowing private institutions and it’s only going to get worse.
Yes, technically Vatican City is an independent state. This argument is logically sound. Want to be married in Church? It will be a church that has been bludgeoned into accepting gay marriage, abortion and euthanasia if the lefties have their way.
Fenris on March 15, 2013 at 12:42 PM
Does anybody know who this idiot marxist “reporter” is? I think the libruls have there noses out of joint because they couldn’t make the election go according to their homosexual/female/oppressed/desires. This is the Churches business. There is no secret how they do it. This is not an election in the “librul” sense, but a convocation to try to determine who God selects to lead His Church.
Old Country Boy on March 15, 2013 at 12:53 PM
That’s rich Obama’s state department saying this. And with all the allegations of fraud we’ve seen in our most recent election.
Othniel on March 15, 2013 at 12:56 PM
Yeah, and they, like, elected a Catholic… AGAIN!
jaydee_007 on March 15, 2013 at 12:57 PM
Gotta love the Anti-Catholic bias in the State Department!
LincolntheHun on March 15, 2013 at 1:03 PM
WINNER!
This thread is done.
Badger40 on March 15, 2013 at 1:39 PM
The correct response?
Call me when the nation of Vatican City is building Nuclear weapons and calling for the destruction of a neighboring country… then I’ll have a problem with their Theocracy.
Until then, not so much; no.
gekkobear on March 15, 2013 at 1:48 PM
[Old Country Boy on March 15, 2013 at 12:53 PM]
Should be able to narrow it down. His first name is Matt.
Dusty on March 15, 2013 at 1:52 PM
Next up: the conspiracy theories!
Yep, we don’t even have hanging chads to dispute over because those dastardly cardinals burned all of the ballots!!!
JohnAGJ on March 15, 2013 at 2:13 PM
Demonstrating just how raaaaacist those cardinals truly are. I mean, where’s the diversity here? Why not throw in a Hindu or Muslim or even a Jainist now and then?
Oh and yes, “raaaaacist” was the appropriate term here since if their’s one thing I’ve learned from the media criticizing Islam is the same as wanting to give the KKK ultimate power. Or something like that.
JohnAGJ on March 15, 2013 at 2:18 PM
Yes, these people really do believe this, because they fetishize elections. They worship them as the total embodiment of democracy. And they worship democracy as the only legitimate form of government (based on the previous sentence’s interpretation of democracy).
Technically speaking the Vatican is the most free polity in the world, since you *can’t* be born a citizen or subject, you must willingly become one. This is how they have decided to run their “country”. Get over it, stultus.
GWB on March 15, 2013 at 2:57 PM