Thomas Friedman sees the Iowa results as a vindication of support for the Iraq incursion by ‘liberal hawks’, like his unrepentent self, whom he calls ‘Blair democrats.”

God bless the Democratic Party’s primary voters in Iowa. They may have rescued our chances of succeeding in Iraq and even winning the war of ideas within the Arab-Muslim world. Go Hawkeyes!

How so? Well, it seems to me that Iowa Democrats, in opting for John Kerry and John Edwards over Howard Dean, signaled (among other things) that they want a presidential candidate who is serious about fighting the war against the Islamist totalitarianism threatening open societies.—New York Times op-ed