From the American standpoint, the most significant development related to the election came from the U.S. itself. Asked about the voting in Iran, Barack Obama said, “Ultimately the election is for the Iranians to decide. You’re seeing people looking at new possibilities. And whoever ends up winning the election in Iran, the fact that there’s been a robust debate hopefully will help advance our ability to engage them in new ways.” For someone who sees false choices everywhere, he sure was snoozing on this one.

Obama’s was a depressingly bad answer. For what does this now say about America’s attitude toward Friday’s insult to democracy? Does the American president really believe that the Iranian public decided the outcome?