Posted on 03/18/2018 12:48:05 PM PDT by GoldenState_Rose
Putin's thumping victory will extend his total time in office to nearly a quarter of a century, until 2024, by which time he will be 71. Only Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ruled for longer. Putin has promised to use his new term to beef up Russia's defences against the West and to raise living standards.
None of the seven candidates who ran against him posed a threat, and opposition leader Alexei Navalny was barred from running. Critics alleged that officials had compelled people to come to the polls to ensure that voter boredom at the one-sided contest did not lead to a low turnout.
Russia's Central Election Commission recognised that there were some irregularities, but were likely to dismiss wider criticism and declare the overall result legitimate.
Putin loyalists said the result was a vindication of his tough stance towards the West.
Putin's bellicose language reached a crescendo before the election in a state-of-the-nation speech when he unveiled new nuclear weapons, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a U.S.-built missile shield.
At odds with the West over Syria, Ukraine, allegations of Russian election meddling and cyber attacks, and the poisoning in Britain of a former Russian spy and his daughter, relations between Moscow and the West are at a post Cold War low.
Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000.
(Excerpt) Read more at themoscowtimes.com ...
LOL. Yes what a shocker. When you poison contenders, and pretty much push out all but butt kissing media, it kind of lends to a blow out at the polls.
Russia a has been state with the economy of Italy’s and whereby 20% of the budget is shared between Putin and his buddies? Yes, what a success story. I am ready to pour my retirement over there right this minute.
Even from a demographic point of view Russia is in terrible shape. Its men live to 55 on average suffering from chronic alcohol abuse. And its birth rate is anemic.
So was Chavez in Venezuela. Look how that turned out.
George Washington was and will always be the Greatest President Ever ... bar none. He could have been King. Instead, he gave us a Republic.
OK, I will concede he is on the right track with the terrorists, but if he really cared about his people he would not have absconded with their wealth into his piggy bank, or share nuclear secrets with Iran.
Christian? About as Christian as Bubba, yes. He probably blessed his victims as he pulled out their fingernails in his stint at the FSB.
All it tells us is Russians return to their vomit.
God, you would think others would get that as they praise Putin for his 77% victory. We are not talking about Switzerland here for God’s sake, but a nation closer to Cameroon as far as free and fair elections.
China as well.
“” “” Get a hold of yourself and find a real job! Sitting in your troll farm pushing Russian lies is no way for a man to live!”” “”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1ugivNRYfjc
The chain of events following Kruglov’s laid off at troll farm following a ban on FR /s
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