How often do dictators lose elections?

Atrios nails it on the recent election in Venezuela. The fact remains that there was an election, and Chavez didn't get his way. Good. This is the way democracy is supposed to work.

Something is weird going on in the U.S. media when in recent years, they were supporting military coups against him. The U.S. no longer believes in democracy.

It was not a referendum on socialism itself by any means. Chavez almost got what he wanted, as the proposal only won with 51% of the vote. What beat Chavez was some people knowing that democracy is not to be trusted to a single man, especially not Chavez. Unfortunately, this is not the true majority, as that 51% also contains people who have no love for the ideal of democracy, and only want to install their own brand of dictator, one more business friendly.