The Suleiman Presidency

Lebanon's politicians are about to do something insane, and unless its citizens rise up and do something about it, they'll probably get away with it. This is, of course, the election of President Suleiman.

If you think that the Syrian regime just forgot to examine the political views of the man who was the commander of the Lebanese army, I don't know what to tell you. If you think it's a coincidence that his brother-in-law was Bashar al-Assad's press flack, I'm not sure how I can spell it out for you more clearly.

The best case scenario is that Suleiman is a mediocrity, willing to go whichever way the political winds blow. It is true that he did not shut down the Cedar Revolution protests. But the Lebanese -- and especially Patriarch Sfeir, who claims to care so deeply about Christian strength -- should ask themselves whether they can afford to have a nonentity as President. Rarely has there been such a palpable feeling of unexcitement over electing someone to high government office.

It is simply unacceptable that a prospective Presidential candidate can skate by without answering questions about Lebanon's current political situation. This is where the media is essential for a functioning democracy: what does Suleiman think about the opposition protest currently crippling the Lebanese government? What would he do about the multiple locations in Lebanon where the government cannot exert its authority? We already know he thinks he is battling the Zionists in Nahr al-Bared; not a good start.

There are real intellectual differences between the Lebanon's two rival factions. Now is precisely the wrong time to sacrifice those principles for political expediency. Ideas matter.