Conservative commentators cheered Monday morning as Honduras
looked poised to elect a new, conservative president, Porfirio
Lobo Jr. Five months ago, the military ousted left-leaning
President Manuel Zelaya. Conservative pundits in the United
States say the elections are a victory for democracy and a blow
to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Some simply seem eager to
put the political crisis behind them, including the United
States, who tried and failed to have Zelaya reinstated. But
others say the elections are illegitimate. They worry that
recognizing their outcome will condone military coups on the
continent. Are the Honduran elections a show of democracy or a
continuation of the military coup?    • Honduras Defeats Chavez 
At The Wall Street Journal, Mary O'Grady says the elections are
a strike for democracy. "If not Hugo Chávez's Waterloo,
Honduras's stand at least marks a major setback for the
Venezuelan strongman's expansionist agenda." She says Obama made
the right decision on the crisis in the end. "