Does the U.S. have any place in determining whether a country is "ready" for democracy?

On a recent episode of “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart commented that, in response to the recent Middle East and North African protests, many newscasters and pundits are commenting on whether countries should have democracy without guidance in much the same way that people comment on whether a country is ready for a nuclear arsenal.

It seemed like one of the most lucid comparison I’ve seen, and seems to clearly paint a lot of U.S. policy regarding the spread of freedom as fine as long as it is on “American terms.”

I’m wondering what people think about the comparison, and whether it’s appropriate for any nation, let alone the U.S., to make such an assessment, which in many ways goes to the heart of national sovereignty.