Rule 1. Only hold elections in areas that are going to vote how you want them to.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3685340.stm
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Violence 'may limit Iraqi poll’ The US defence secretary has suggested Iraq may only be able to hold limited elections in January, omitting areas where violence is most severe. Donald Rumsfeld told senators it might not be possible to conduct voting in some places targeted by militants |
Like Texas, Florida, Idaho… 
Oh, but I forgot to add my favourite quote of the day:
Mr Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee:
“Well, so be it, nothing is perfect in life, so you have an election that’s not quite perfect. Is it better than not having an election? You bet.”
This is great… Who let Rummy out? - They’d better catch him quick and put him back in his box before November! 
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| WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhuanet) – US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld suggested on Friday that the United States could begin to withdraw its troops from Iraq before the country is “peaceful and perfect”. “Any implication that that place has to be peaceful and perfect before we can reduce coalition and US forces would obviously be, I think, unwise because it’s never been peaceful and perfect, and it isn’t likely to be,” Rumsfeld told a press conference after meeting visiting Iraqi interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi. |
That’s why he wasn’t let into the Republican convention…and a few other cabinet members.