People have written in pointing out that they had no good choices in the election. Which is true. Although if there is a major Palestinian constituency in favor of good clean liberal government and peace with Israel, presumably someone would be running on that platform. But, that said, I support the elections. It is very hard to create a legitimate government in today’s world without free elections. So there wasn’t real a good alternative (read John O’Sullivan’s column for a very shrewd, clear-eyed take, as always). And I don’t discount entirely the possibility that Hamas will reform itself over time, and that governing could help break about that result. My point is that the human heart, alas, is much more complicated than Bush’s rhetoric would have it.