There’s little question that the majority of the American media opposes President Bush. If not anti-Bush, they’re at least not pro-Bush.

This week’s elections in Iraq were historic. In the weeks running up to the election, Bush detractors in Washington were claiming there is no way for the Bush effort in Iraq to succeed, it was far past time for the president to bring U.S. troops home and it was unrealistic to think Uncle Sam could plant the seed of democracy in this part of the world and see it grow.

In watching two previous elections in Iraq, many Americans were shocked by the millions of Iraqis who refused to be intimidated and went to the polls despite various threats of violence. Again Thursday, record numbers of Iraqis cast their ballots for a permanent government, selecting 275 members for a new parliament from a list of 7,655 candidates running on 996 tickets.

Early estimates report a voter turnout of approximately 70 percent.

It was a stunning victory for Bush and the American effort. The election does not mean everything in Iraq will be peaceful from now on because terrorist attacks are bound to continue and more Americans will be killed or maimed. It is an ugly, dirty war in every respect, and there will be no truce or surrender to mark the end of fighting as in conventional wars.

Nevertheless, the Thursday election marks a significant step toward a successful American effort in Iraq. Iraq will be asked to carry more and more of the load, and one of the big questions today is whether Iraqi forces and the newly elected government will be able to maintain some degree of stability when the United States reduces its involvement.

Time will tell, but the millions of Iraqi citizens who took part in the election gave the best possible evidence that they want to try to test a new form of government, something different than what is practiced by any of their neighbors, with the exception of Israel.

If the election had failed, if the number of voters had dropped significantly, if there had been violence or if other bad things had happened, this country’s major media would have had a field day criticizing Bush. It would have been the top news and triggered ugly, angry calls of “I told you so,” demands for immediate troop withdrawals and vicious attacks on Bush.

There have been many disappointments associated with the effort in Iraq, the main one being more than 2,000 American deaths. Along with this is the tremendous cost in dollars and cents, money that could have been used to meet many needs here at home.

But the United States is engaged and, as in any war, once engaged, it is imperative to win. Thursday’s election is not a guarantee that times will get better, but it is a historic event both in terms of voter turnout and the issues voters approved.

It deserved far better play by the American media.