Russia on American Elections

[mendeleyev]

It wasn't that long ago that Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to favour American presidential candidate Donald Trump, should he emerge as the Republican front-runner.

Now, Putin has weighted in on Hillary Clinton. As expected, it wasn't good.

Today in the Mendeleyev Journal....

The Russian love affair with Bill Clinton, mostly remembered during the Yeltsin years, is officially over. Certainly you can still find souvenir matryoshka nesting dolls in the likeness of Bill Clinton for sale at some street kiosks, but the days when Russians admired the saxophone playing, womanizing and vodka-loving American politician as one of us are gone.


Source: ebay.co.uk

During President Putin's recent nationwide call-in show last Thursday, one caller asked Mr. Putin about American democracy, and about Hillary Clinton in particular. The annual live broadcast averages about 3.5 hours in length and is broadcast on all the major television and radio networks across Russia.

The Moscow Times reported that approximately three million questions were submitted for Putin's traditional telephone marathon. The Presidential Press office selects which questions are asked during the show via studio guests, video messaging, telephone, or email.

Putin employed the old Russian proverb that the "Husband and wife are the same devil" in responding to the caller who asked his thoughts on current Americanpresidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Putin noted the length of time the Bush and Clinton families have been in power and opined, "Where is the diversity?" He avoided the obvious correlation to the tenure of Putin-Medvedev-Putin.

During a January debate of Democratic presidential candidates, NBC anchor Lester Holt had asked Mrs. Clinton about her relationship with Putin to which she replied, "Well, my relationship with him, it's um, it's interesting." Clinton went on to describe Putin as a bully.

Several members of the Russian Duma (parliament) have suggested that Mr. Putin place travel sanctions on Mrs. Clinton stemming from the arrest of a Russian pilot while she was the American Secretary of State.

[Gator]

Thanks Mendy.

My guess - Putin realizes Clinton will likely win the election, and he wants to continue the adversarial position with her that he had with Obama.  Putin has for years convinced the Russian people  that the American government is the enemy, and that he has the strength to stand up to America.  This has made him popular among the Russian voters.  So he will continue this strategy.  I don't know if he will ridicule her pants suits as did Trump.


I was watching some TV commentators talking about the Panama papers.  One claimed to be an expert on Russia.  She stated that Russia was not implicated in the papers as much as some other countries, and that Russian people were not alarmed.  She said the Russian people believe that if anyone other than Putin had been President it would have been much worse..........

Mendy, as you walk around Russia do you feel that your in the midst of a living God?

[BillyB]

Obama, with Hillary as Secretary of State, hit the Reset Button with Russia and as it turned out, Russia expanded. Putin may want a Democrat elected again so they may offer Russia Reset Button part II. A Republican is more likely to get in his face.

[mendeleyev]

Mendy, as you walk around Russia do you feel that your in the midst of a living God?

As someone noted in another thread, Russians feel comfortable in holding onto a variety of illogical and contradicting views. Do they feel that he is a god? The majority do not, but you'd certainly wonder if he wasn't one of the Apostles.

Poroshenko of Ukraine is a well-known business Oligarch and has built businesses. Putin has never had a private sector job in his life, but Russians don't blink an eye at his wealth while they point the finger at all the other guys.

[msmobyone]

As someone noted in another thread, Russians feel comfortable in holding onto a variety of illogical and contradicting views. Do they feel that he is a god? The majority do not, but you'd certainly wonder if he wasn't one of the Apostles.

Poroshenko of Ukraine is a well-known business Oligarch and has built businesses. Putin has never had a private sector job in his life, but Russians don't blink an eye at his wealth while they point the finger at all the other guys.

Mendy, how can you say such things about Putin.. ? He's declared his assets and it amount sto two apts and a plot of land..

[Anotherkiwi]

Mendy, how can you say such things about Putin.. ? He's declared his assets and it amount sto two apts and a plot of land..

Yeah, and I only own one property in Moscow - nice river views, once you get above the very big walls all around it, with some towers and gates as well - oh, and some old guy is buried in one of those walls.  I really must get maintenance onto that...I mean, he's been there for like, YEARS!

[mendeleyev]

Interesting report from the BBC regarding how many everyday Russians feel about Donald Trump:

[mendeleyev]

Footnote: The young lady indicated that, according to the screen translation, found Trump to be a good looking man. I'd disagree with that translation, as her choice of description (интересный or in-ter-res-nee) would be more accurately translated as "interesting."