I’m not going to say that Abdullah Abdullah could have won. I’m saying he never stood a chance in the first place — nor would any other candidate. Which might be why he dropped out of the elections, as the Associated Press reports:

Karzai is far from the strong and capable partner that Washington had hoped would emerge from the electoral process that it and Western allies had pushed for in Afghanistan. They hoped the elections would stabilize the country and bleed support from the Taliban.

But the process effectively ended in turmoil Sunday, even as the war with the Taliban intensifies. Karzai’s challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, bowed out only six days before a scheduled runoff, charging that no fair election was possible.

What a flippin’ abortion of a democracy! First, a fraudulent election. Then, the U.N.’s bumbling response to it. And now, this.

Ah yes. So he might be a crooked man in Afghanistan, but at least he’s Our Man in Afghanistan.