re: #64 Dadaist

Whether you can truly call Ahmadinejad subordinate to the mullahs or whether he’s elevated the position to an equal isn’t a trivial question or point within the theocracy. Ahmadinejad has sought to expand his power and authority, and one can argue that the suppression of the Iranian opposition (led by Mirhussien Mousavi) was meant to increase his power (and by and through the Basij and IRGC). There might be a split among the mullahs themselves, giving him the ability to exploit the differences to his own end.

But he is the official spokesman for the Iranian regime, which makes his statements all the more dangerous for those he singles out.

Yet, anyone seeking election has to first pass muster with the mullahs, which make them gatekeepers. Ahmadinejad may have become the barbarian within the gates, much to the woe of mullahs and the Iranian people at large.