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[sphagnum]

They should just eliminate the electing process and nominate him the Tsar of Russia.

This would certainly put the CPRF in a pickle.

 

[benjipwns]

Good to see at least some countries still have a fair and free democracy where the people get to have a say.

 

[JP_]

As an aside, that's actually neat that there's webcams at polling places -- should adopt that in US.

 

[benjipwns]

That ballot stuffing video. Better hope Clinton and her thugs don't pull anything like that.

Wow, Hillary would never do something like that.

She's from the school of Boss Tweed:

As long as I count the votes, what are you going to do about it?

 

[Theonik]

Lol. Why do they even have elections...at this point.

Props to people brave enough to run against his party.

..rip..

So they can pretend to be a fair democracy that the western propaganda media are unfairly targetting.

 

[Oersted]

I was hoping the Saddam 99% winning vote.

Saddam is GOAT!

Old Kim always had 99.

New Kim had 100 I think.

 

[darscot]

Having spent a fair amount of time in Russia and talk to people about this type of thing. I was actually very surprised by the attitude of many people. Russia's history is one of Czar and Communism, basically they have always been ruled. So they actually believe you find a ruler and you let him rule. Corruption is just kind of the cost of doing business. They think that is the best way to run a country, they will elect Putin until someone stronger comes along. They are very old school that way. Of course this is anecdotal but it was a common theme. Even if it all goes to shit, they just overthrow the current ruler then find another one. I'm not up to speed at all with Russian history but I remember a guy there telling me about a time in their history that they actually paid a king from another country to rule Russia.

 

[Adaren]

So this is what he meant by a "strong leader".

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

I wish tbh

Modern Russia is a synthesis of the worst aspects of Soviet socialism with the worst aspects of Western liberalism

No it's better than the late period USSR although only modestly so. It's massively better than Stalin era USSR.

 

[Vladimir Putin]

One election down

 

[benjipwns]

One election down

congrats, hope all is well for you Mr. President

don't let the anti-democracy haters get you down, those who aren't neoliberal scum believe in you

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

Just wondering how long "should" Putin be president? In according to official laws in Russia?

 

[benjipwns]

Just wondering how long "should" Putin be president? In according to official laws in Russia?

The Russian President can be elected to two consecutive six year terms, then they have to sit out a term. That's why Medvedev was President for a bit while Putin was Prime Minister and then they swapped.

Putin was elected in 2012, so he can be re-elected in 2018, and then skip 2024 and run again in 2030. Assuming no change in the law. They used to be four year terms but that was changed in 2008 while Putin was out of office. (Or as he was leaving.)

 

[Extra Sauce]

Yeah the elections are always corrupt but if you go to Russia Putin is almost universally loved - he and his party would win regardless of corruption. Russias not gonna get a more progressive leader until a hell of alot more Russians demand it.

You say that as if Putin's popularity was not sustained by the corruption.

 

[Vladimir Putin]

The low energy LDPR couldn't even get 15%. Sad!

 

[commedieu]

You don't say?

This is like the guy u play monopoly with that always steals money from the bank coming up with an oceans 11 style plan to grab money from the bank.... but be as obvious and sloppy as you possibly can, and murder those who get in the way.

 

[capitalCORN]

A reminder to Americans this could happen to YOU.

 

[Netherscourge]

One election down

I voted for your party TWICE! In the same day!


/wink
/highfive

 

[commedieu]

A reminder to Americans this could happen to YOU.

Florida says hi.

 

[capitalCORN]

Florida says hi.

One down, 49 to go...

 

[BlueWord]

This is overly simplistic. Putin is a dodgy character, but under him the Russian has grown enormously. A lot of the buck has to sit with the American economists and institutions like the IMF who pushed their self-interest ed and ideologically-driven shock therapy post-Communism that ruined the Russian economy and plunged the country into pretty abject poverty.

It's this. Shock therapy was horrendous for the Russian economy, and did a lot to sour the promise of a new beginning in Russia-United States relations. Under Putin, the Russian economy has relatively stabilized, despite being built almost entirely on the back of the export of natural gas and petroleum. A lot of Russia's foreign policy is aimed at maintaining dominance as the chief regional supplier of those products due to their importance in maintaining growth and, by extension, Putin's popularity at home.