Having sold to the movies not only "Election" but also "The Wishbones," a breezy novel about a band that plays weddings (pace, Adam Sandler), he now shows a dangerous taste for standard plot add-ons like gangsters with snappy nicknames (Vito Meatballs) or the faculty member who is having an affair with Polly.
But the question will not disappear, and answering it will require not only election campaigns but also a movement that can bring together responses to racism, responses to economic domination, and responses to cultural marginalization.
Not only do elections for governor traditionally lure far fewer voters than presidential election years, but the high turnout of registered voters two years ago masked a longer and more disturbing trend.
That is why the old oligarchies linked closely to Washington were swept from power in democratic elections which saw, not only the election of Chávez in Venezuela, but Lula in Brazil, Kirchner in Argentina, Morales in Bolivia, Correa in Ecuador, Bachelet in Chile and Lugo in Paraguay, for example.
"Democracy, however, does not only mean elections," he said.
In Italy, as elsewhere, these were not only European elections but also council and provincial ones.
Because democracy depends not only on elections, but also strong and accountable institutions, and the respect for the rights of minorities.
Mr. Mekdad said that not only could elections be held as scheduled in 2014 — and that Mr. Assad would win "in an landslide" — but that major overhauls could also be carried out quickly.
While Mr. Erdogan referred to his electoral victories and his parliamentary majority as a license to carry out policies as he saw fit, Mr. Gul stressed that true democracy "does not only mean elections".
