The main opposition is still the Communists if you go by the numbers. The liberal opposition has periodic re-awakenings since the start of the Federation, but they have never been able to beat even the Communists at the polls, let alone be able to touch United Russia

The sad part is the Communists have been run by the same guy for 20 years now. Gennady Zyuganov has run in every Russian presidential election, and he was an old man when the Soviet Union fell.

The Russians HATE Yeltsin, btw. Yeltsin and Gorbachev are both loathed by the people who vote Putin, and the antipathy for Yeltsin is near-universal (liberal opposition's not keen on his legacy either).

''The guy before him was Boris Yeltsen.  Putin I believe is more popular, though it's not that much of a differnece since they're essentially two peas in a pod.''

WHAT?!?!? They're the polar opposites. Yeltsen was pro-democracy, friendly to the West and led Russia to absolute financial ruin whereas Putin has consolodated power, stood up to America and restored some semblance of economic well-being within his nation. Personally, I am utterly perplexed that there is any opposition to Putin within Russia, it's like people forgot the extreme hardship thrust upon them by the incompetents who formerly ran the country into the ground.

i hope that one day, soon preferably, russia will get the rampant corruption under control and mature as a country. it would be good if they could become a responsible player on the world stage.

Thought Democracy Now was larger at the moment. (though granted have a large ammount of communists and not all the communists.)

I know Yeltsin's not popular, but really, he and Putin aren't much different.  Just your typical corrpt politician.

Didn't know Gorbachev was unpopular though.

Guess i'm too used to the song.

Putin won, this is a fact. He is very well supported here in Russia by people. Its funny, but it was one area, where another guy taken twice as much votes as Putin... It was in London... They wanted Mr Prokhorov, Russian oligarch...

And speaking of democracy and cheating - you know that during this years president elections 95% of places for voting was eqipped with web-cameras with online translating? Did you see something like this on European or American elections?

Yelstsen and He are equally as corrupt.

And though he was scapegoated for the economy, there isn't anyone who was going to end up doing well in that transition.

Putin was only benefiting from coming in at the end of the process after the pain from transitioning came about and market transitions were complete.  He's only gotten in the way of Russias economy.

http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/paper.cfm?ResearchID=974

Doube post

While I agree that this vote probably broadly represents voters wills in Russia (even if there was a bit of fraud here and there) electoral fraud is not a huge problem in the established democracies and as such the web cameras aren't really needed here.

The more concerning thing in terms of democracy in Russia for me is the control the Kremlin has over the media.

Also you must admit that Putin (while still popular) is not as popular as he was a few years ago?

Sorry, but I think you a bit mistaking here. If you want to discuss - I'm ready... )

Well, I'd say so... Speaking of December 2011 - yes that time support for Putin was not the best he had... And it was protests, and you know - people always want changes to better. :)

 BUT, then our opposition show themselves as TOTAL JERKS, and a lot of people who wasn't sure turned to Putin again - and now his support is on some of highest levels he ever had (this is mostly my personal feelings from inside of Russia).