Iranian Election Fallout

The poll results from Iran's election were released over the weekend.  Despite my somewhat optimistic query early last week, the results most Western nations had hoped for was not to be.

Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won an 'overwhelming' victory that has invariably been believed by none.

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The rub, unfortunately, is that there seems to be very little that can be done outside the Islamic Republic.  At least, if one believes the Obama Administration.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's response to the election was fairly muted:

In brief remarks in Canada, Clinton cited "the enthusiasm and the very vigorous debate and dialogue" in the run-up to the vote. "We obviously hope that the outcome reflects the genuine will and desire of the Iranian people," she said.

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On the domestic front, one cannot help viewing the election results, whether fixed or no, as a direct blow to the 'smart diplomacy' of the Obama Administration.

Simply put, how can one engage in smart diplomacy with patently unreasonable fellows such as the regime in Tehran - to say nothing of the saber rattling out of Pyongyang. The question, of course, is rhetorical. Smart diplomacy assumes our enemies are reasonable. In this case, the outcomes indicate the opposite.