Deputies in Egypt's first post-revolution parliament on Monday elected Saad al-Katatni, a leading member of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, as speaker.
Katatni won 399 votes out of 496 in the first session of the lower house of parliament since it was dissolved following a popular uprising that ousted veteran president Hosni Mubarak.
The Islamists had the street cred from long opposition to the Mubarak regime. And they were organized. It isn't shocking that they won.
But it isn't a reason to deny Egyptians democracy. What we need is not to engineer particular victors but to engineer rule of law that makes sure there are more free elections. The Arab Spring is a long-term project. It isn't a reality show that wraps up after 26 episodes.
Katatni is saying good things about democracy. Let's work to make sure those words come true. If we can do that, over time the Islamists will have to submit to voter audit of their policies and the people will have a chance to decide if the Islamists are truly deserving of power.
In a free society, people are free to make mistakes. If the mistake doesn't end democracy, a free society provides the tools to fix the mistake.
