In the words of Abbas Milani, my colleague at the Hoover Institution, "If Ahmadinejad survives, it will be on the back of a Tiananmen-style crackdown. If Mousavi prevails, it will be on a wave of reformist sentiment." While that reformist sentiment may not shake the regime and is unlikely to stop the nuclear weapons program, it does hold out hope for substantial change.

Accordingly, I no longer want Ahmadinejad to serve as president for a second term but prefer Mousavi in that position. Better yet, of course, would be for neither of them to hold power but for the entire fetid Islamic Republic of Iran to collapse. While confident that process is underway. I have no idea if it is weeks or decades ahead. Whatever it requires, Mousavi as president hastens the process. (June 20, 2009)

Daniel Pipes Blog

http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2009/06/ahmadinejad-or-mousavi.html

Iran is basically a theocracy and anyone placed in the puppet position of president will be guided to carry out whatever policies Khamene’i decides is ‘best’. (Best for whom? His ability to stay in power). Democracy is basically a sham in Iran. They go through the motions but there is no real meat to it.