Mods have the power to unflag these but don't, usually because they don't see these threads (though, if they really wanted to they could view the 'active' page). It's interesting to see what you can and can not talk about on HN, local US politics (esp. California) is fine, global possibly world changing things are not.

Off-Topic: Most stories about politics, or crime, or sports, or celebrities, unless they're evidence of some interesting new phenomenon. If they'd cover it on TV news, it's probably off-topic.

democracy may suffer from the problem that it allows the election of anti-democratic autocrats but it seems that it's definitely able to come back from the brink, even if the deck's stacked against it. i wonder what message it sends to the other countries.

Exactly same story as just north from it, Fico in Slovakia is a tragedy for that nation and he keeps winning the votes.

So great news, for now.

He could now take certain steps, such as eliminating press freedom, but election fraud on the scale that would have been necessary to skew this election would have led to sanctions.

What do we call this mindset? Right wing authoritarianism? Anti-immigrant sentiment? Poland next door to Hungary is also very anti-immigrant and proud of it (everyone from Duda onwards).

Also, DJ vance was lobbing for him righr before elections in some local gatherings during his visot few days ago. So much for not interfering.

And arguably, that's why they lost. When Republicans run somebody on a platform of being actively hostile, they win. It took a global pandemic to upset that pattern. The moderates will vote red no matter who, but the extremists will come out in droves if you pander to them.

So... if it's really Mitt Romney running Hungary, I'm just fine with that.

Sadly, I fear the analogy breaks down, and that Magyar might be less intelligent and thoughtful than Romney. I hope I'm wrong about that.