Vlad Putin “wins” the “election” in Russia:
Vladimir Putin and his supporters are celebrating victory in Russian elections, that will give him a third presidential term after spending the last four years as the country’s PM.
With nearly all the ballots counted, he secured nearly 64% of the vote, election officials say.
Mr Putin told supporters in Moscow he had won in an open and honest battle.
But opposition groups claim widespread fraud, and plan a protest rally in Moscow later on Monday.
The independent election watchdog Golos says Mr Putin won just over 50% – far less than the official figure given by the election commission.
It says it received numerous reports of “carousel” voting – in which voters cast multiple ballots.
Credit where it’s due, Mr. Putin ran a great campaign. And the security services.
Gee..and to think he did it without the black panthers..
No, just the FSB…
I hope we do not learn through experience in the US what Bazhanov’s “Memoirs of Stalin’s Former Secretary” reports:
You know, comrades,” says Stalin, “that I think in regard to this: I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this — who will count the votes, and how.
And some wonder why we get concerned when a precinct judge drives off with a stuffed ballot box in their trunk by themself. “Oh, they were just a Democrat making a simple mistake. We all get absent minded at times.”
Rather honest it was, compared to, say, Chicago.
I wish I could say you were wrong.
Reminds me of something I heard in a song by The Who. “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” or something like that…
Wonder if our November elections will be much different?
I just finished watching the BBC’s “D-Day to Berlin”. As long as people such as Putin are running Russia, that country is a mortal enemy of us and our way of life. After we take care of the communist in the White House, we need to get serious about dealing with the Russians.
Paul
LOL! Russia is not an independent geopolitical actor, and was barely so in the lead-up to WWII.
So?
What? Your point is?
Paul
Russia only matters insofar as her carcass may bolster China and/or the Fourth Reich.