For Jaded Russians, Obama’s Star Power Does Not Translate

NY Times ^

[maccaca]

Let other capitals go all weak-kneed when President Obama visits. Moscow has greeted Mr. Obama, who on Tuesday night concluded a two-day Russian-American summit meeting, as if he were just another dignitary passing through. Crowds did not clamor for a glimpse of him. Headlines offered only glancing or flippant notice of his activities. Television programming was uninterrupted; devotees of the Russian Judge Judy had nothing to fear. Even many students and alumni of the Western-oriented business school where Mr. Obama gave the graduation address on Tuesday seemed merely respectful, but hardly enthralled. “We don’t really understand why Obama is such a star,” said Kirill Zagorodnov, 25, one of the graduates. “It’s a question of trust, how he behaves, how he positions himself, that typical charisma, which in Russia is often parodied. Russians really are not accustomed to it. It is like he is trying to manipulate the public.” ... Some Obama aides said they were struck by the low-key reception here, especially when compared with the outpouring on some of his other foreign trips. Even Michelle Obama, who typically enjoys admiring coverage in the local news media when she travels, has not had her every move chronicled here.

[PetroniusMaximus]

I knew there was something I liked about those old Ruskies.

[hinckley buzzard]

Kirill Zagorodnov, 25, one of the graduates. “It’s a question of trust, how he behaves, how he positions himself, that typical charisma, which in Russia is often parodied. Russians really are not accustomed to it. It is like he is trying to manipulate the public.”

One Russian who gets it.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

I'm sure that they were equally unimpressed by his fashion goddess spouse.

[sinanju]

Any Russian speakers out there? I can only imagine the slurs they must utter about those two behind their backs.

[Savage Beast]

"respectful, but hardly enthralled"

Would that the Russians could export such sobriety to the United States.

[tflabo]

False messiah’s don’t like it when they are not worshipped
and fussed over dontchyaknow comrades! Nyet!

[God luvs America]

who’s jaded??? the Russians or the NYSlimes in their reverence for zero???

[alecqss]

Moscow has greeted Mr. Obama... as if he were just another dignitary passing through.

Obama's visit was a political disaster; it will take much effort and treasury to recover from which. However, for NYT, the real horror is an absence of signs of Obama's cult following among Muscovites?!!"Just another dignitary"?!! How could they!

[FlingWingFlyer]

So the Russkis weren’t impressed with Michelle’s “glamour?”
Damn. The eunuchs in Obama’s “media” said she was going to knock the Russkis socks off. Guess they were wrong again. As usual.

[omega4179]

Is their water unflourinated? Why do they see what the US cannot?

[rbg81]

Russians have a way of seeing right through people.

[kalee]

Could be they know a commie leader when they see one.

[KarlInOhio]

Are Pravda and Izvestia not falling for mass hopenosis?

[bray]

In Moscow, Tyrants are a dime a dozen.

Pray for America

[shield]

I guess the commie NYT’s can’t understand why their commie thug wasn’t accepted in all places a former commie country. Most likely it’s cause of Pravda’s articles OR they can actually see through the fraud.

[TravisBickle]

Russians have a way of seeing right through people.

Look what they did to Rasputin!

[denydenydeny]

The media assumption with Bush was that when people didn’t like him they were picking up that obviously something was wrong with him and his policies.

Whem people don’t like Obama and his policies, the media assumption is that there is something wrong with them.

[Lawgvr1955]

Russians lived under Socialists like Obama for over 70 years. They have probably had their fill of the likes of him and can sense them from a distance.