Egypt referendum passes in a landslide

Reportedly 77% VOTED YES. The vast majority of people I know voted “no,” and the (obviously unscientific) polls I saw also predicted a landslide in the other direction, which just goes to show that the circles with which I have contact are by no means typical of the populace as a whole.

I was speaking with a knowledgeable political scientist on the bus tonight, and he was making the point that, for all the fears that a “yes” result might mean a relapse from the revolution, there’s a perfectly logical case to be made for “yes.” Namely: let’s not let the army get too comfortable being in charge. A “no” result would indeed have meant a protracted redrafting of the Constitution, which for many was precisely the point– a military interregnum is needed to continue to flush the NDP’ers out of power and give time for more parties to organize as well as the Brotherhood is already organized.

But it also makes sense to me, what the political scientist was saying on the bus… Get the army off the street, and don’t jeopardize the legality of all national institutions by literally claiming that the old Constitution was literally voided when Mubarak stepped down. This was a fairly neutral American academic who wasn’t personally advocating a “yes” (he noted that all of his friends think the same way as all of mine). He was just trying to look at the silver lining.