Source: Hoover Institution
by Michael McFaul
“Putin’s alleged final tally [in the recent election] — 88 percent of the vote! — underscored the farcical nature of the whole event. In the old days, Putin tried to make his election victories look competitive. Last month, he didn’t even try. Public opinion polls in totalitarian dictatorships also reveal little knowledge about actual societal preferences. In a heavily surveilled country where you can go to jail for even uttering the word ‘war,’ there is only one rational response to a call from an unknown poll worker from Moscow asking you if you support Putin and his policies. Yes. We know from previous breakdowns of autocracies that real preferences about dictators are revealed only when it is safe to do. … Yet, even with all these caveats, I still believe that most Russians—actively and passively — support Putin today.” (04/17/24)