Putin in Trouble Politically?
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)
The neocon/CIA-connected Washington Post turned truth on its head suggesting it in one of its endless Russophobic assaults.
A recent poll had his approval rating at 83%, He’s supported by 82% of young respondents, 83% among Russians aged 45 - 59, and 89% among people aged-60 or older.
Western politicians come nowhere near him in popularity. Many are widely disliked - notably Britain’s Theresa May, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Spain’s Mariano Rajoy.
Gallup has Trump’s approval rating at 37% in its latest December 18 - 24 survey.
According to WaPo disinformation, “Putin remains unwilling to test (his popularity) against real competition,” adding:
“On Monday, the state election commission banned his most popular opponent, Alexei Navalny, from running in the presidential election scheduled for March 18 - meaning that Mr. Putin will face no serious opposition to obtaining another six-year term.”
“He…prefers to stage a Potemkin vote in which his only challengers will be two perennial candidates one Communist and one ultra-nationalist…”
“…Navalny…called for a boycott.” WaPo claimed voter turnout will likely to be low. Polls show the vast majority of eligible voters intend participating.
Western darling Navalny is a convicted embezzler, a phony anti-corruption advocate, a political nobody with scant popular support.
WaPo lied claiming he “attracted a broad following across Russia.” He’s popular in his own mind and WaPo’s alone - ignored or disliked by the vast majority of Russians, backed by Washington, funded by the anti-democratic National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
Putin will be reelected in March by a landslide. He’s too overwhelmingly popular to defeat.
He’ll have lots of competition. According to Russia’s Central Election Commission, a dozen or more candidates may run in next year’s presidential election - CEC Secretary Maya Grishina saying:
“Activity is rather high and there are more or less famous people. Along with this, one should understand that we have over 60 political parties, and each has the right to nominate a candidate,” adding:
“According to our estimates, there are about 12-15 potential candidates. But I think it is a start. When people hear that the presidential race has begun, more initiatives will appear.”
In addition to Putin, likely candidates include Liberal Democratic Party of Russia’s Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Yabloko party leader Grigory Yavlinsky, Communists of Russia party’s head Maksim Suraikin, Presidential Ombudsman for Entrepreneurs’ Rights and Party of Growth leader Boris Titov, political scientist Andrei Bogdanov, socialite Ksenia Sobchak, Women’s Dialogue party leader Yelena Semerikova, businessman Sergei Polonsky, and singer Yekaterina Gordon, among other figures.
WaPo: Navalny “bring(s) out tens of thousands of followers in cities across Russia…to denounce” Vladimir Putin.
He attracts small numbers, meaningless publicity stunts when he calls for protests.
WaPo repeated the long ago discredited Big Lies about “Russian aggression” in Ukraine, including seizing Crimea.
It lied claiming “Putin continues to oversee attempts to undermine and tilt elections in the West,” falsely accusing him of “outlaw(ing) political competition in Russia.”
WaPo is a CIA house organ, reporting what the spy agency wants published - featuring disinformation, Big Lies and fake news, its specialties!
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