Russians (Americans) Shrug at Prospects of Another Putin (Obama) Term, Poll Shows

It is not just in America that the elites have become unaccountable to the people and act in their own interests as they see fit. So I thought I would have some fun with a New York Times article printed on Friday about the impending second presidency of Russia's Vladimir Putin (my comments are in bold):

The majority of Russians Americans have “grown weary” of waiting for Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin President Barack Obama to make positive changes in their lives, and many expect little new from him as he embarks on his second stint as president runs for reelection next year, according to a poll published Friday.

Mr. Putin Obama remains the most popular politician in the country, but his support has been increasingly defined by inertia among voters, as well as a lack of other alternatives, said experts from the Levada Center, the Moscow-based polling agency that released the survey.

The survey, among the first since Mr. Putin’s plan to return to the presidency was announced last month Obama began his reelection campaign, quantified what many observers have been saying for a long time. Confronted with a series of stage-managed elections events, airbrushed television coverage, and Mr. Putin’s Obama's increasingly blatant publicity stunts pandering speeches, Russians Americans have largely tuned out.

“People understand what political system they have and that they have no influence over it,” said Denis Volkov, an analyst from the Levada Center.

News of Mr. Putin’s Obama's coming return to the presidency potential reelection, after four years as prime minister kowtowing to the elites, has provoked elation among his ardent supporters and despair among his detractors. But beyond these small pockets of Russian American society, the most common reaction has been a shrug of the shoulders.

But the best part is near the end of the story when they ask the candidate himself for his reaction:

When asked this week about another survey indicating public dissatisfaction, Mr. Putin Obama acknowledged that many Russians Americans were frustrated with the slow process of change, but, noting Russia’s turbulent history that altering the system would enrage his big campaign donors, urged a cautious approach to reform.