The “good for democracy” narrative both sprouted and broke with the Arab Spring. And yeah, electing someone from a demographic that literally couldn’t vote a g

The “good for democracy” narrative both sprouted and broke with the Arab Spring. And yeah, electing someone from a demographic that literally couldn’t vote a generation earlier does ring a bit differently than electing someone who is now claiming absolute immunity from any legal repercussions, declaring he’ll be a dictator on day one of his second term, and refusing to agree not to use political power to go after personal opponents. One of those is a democratic achievement and the other is not. It’s only confusing if you squint so hard that “I’ll be a dictator on day one” doesn’t read as antidemocratic.