A year on, Ahmadinejad's popularity is soaring

[spindrifter]

Ewen MacAskill and Simon Tisdall in Tehran
Wednesday June 21, 2006
The Guardian

The popularity of Iran's controversial leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is surging almost a year after he unexpectedly won a closely contested presidential election, Iranian officials and western diplomats said yesterday.

Attributing his success to his populist style and fortnightly meet-the-people tours of the country, the sources said that as matters stood, Mr Ahmadinejad was the clear favourite to win a second term in 2009. The perception that the president was standing up to the US on the nuclear issue was also boosting his standing.

"He's more popular now than a year ago. He's on the rise," said Nasser Hadian-Jazy, a professor of political science at Tehran University. "I guess he has a 70% approval rating right now. He portrays himself as a simple man doing an honest job. He's comfortable communicating with ordinary people."

<snip>

"An indication of his power is the way he has whipped up public opinion on the nuclear energy issue," a western diplomat said. "If there was an election today, he would win." It was possible that Mr Ahmadinejad could become a liability to the government if Iran were taken to the UN security council, he said, adding: "But I think in that situation, he gets stronger."

<snip>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1802280,00.html

++++++++++++++++++

Bet * is jealous of Ahmadinejad's 70% popularity figure.

[MadMaddie]

1. Thanks to the * cabal this guy's popularity is going through the

roof....

[CAG]

2. Nah... its gotta be Clinton and that ol' librul media thats made him so

popular... didn't you get the talking points???

:-)