Andy, honestly, that is an unfair posting. Nobody says Lebanon is a functioning “democracy.” Bush doesn’t call it a “democracy,” nor does he claim that free elections equal democracy. (For a more complete exploration of this topic, read this.) You want to say the democracy project is an overreach, that’s your right and it certainly is a key debate of our time. But there’s something wrong about saying the democracy project is wanting and then mocking Bush’s warning to the Lebanese that terrorism and democracy are irreconcilable. Of course terrorism and democracy are irreconcilable, since democracies depend on the rule of law. By saying what he said, the president was making clear he is mindful of the distinction between free elections and democratic institutions. In other words, he was implicitly endorsing your view. Usually people are happy when that happens.