civilservant

Against Bush I think she probably would have. She probably would have peeled away more of the moderate GOP base that actually quite like O-Care not that they have seen it in action, not to mention those that don't believe that abortion is murder. That said, since Jeb was also more moderate, it would have been mighty close. 2 political dynasties up against each.

Cruz seems more in the Trump mold, and as we have seen making everything a demagogue seems to work in American politics.

fakey

Actually that is what several million people in Russia say too. And Amnesty International, MI5, the league to protect journalists, many human rights lawyers & the families of those slaughtered & tortured in Chechnya.
But no doubt, with your tin foil hat on, none of that matters. It's all a massive US/Israeli/ Illuminati conspiracy to frame poor, innocent Vladimir.

Shard

Putin has enormous popularity in Russia. I don't completely trust MI6 or Amnesty, and not sure about the Illuminati. It's not impossible that Putin is the monster that Western sources paint him to be, but I am skeptical of it. I've seen him interviewed (on TV) listen to his answers, survey him as another human being, and my gut instinct is that he is no worse than any American president.

Anian

Now I'm imagining a Mr Magoo style Putin, just calming walking through the park oblivious to everything while all his political rivals die of random accidents that were all complete coincidences.