I just watched the State of the Union address, and generally I thought it was very good. I was especially impressed that President Bush invited the head of the Iraqi governing council to the address, placed him in a seat of honor right next to the First Lady, and called him out for special commendation in the address.

The more I read, watch, and think, the more I agree with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman about the critical importance of Iraq as a model for the rest of the Middle East. If we succeed in fostering democracy in Iraq, it will serve as a positive model for the Middle East and will take much of the wind out of the sails of despotic regimes. If we fail in fostering democracy in Iraq, it will be used as “proof” that democracy in the Middle East is impossible. And that will give despots even more sway with the masses of disenfranchised young people in those countries, contributing to even more instability and terrorism.