And one last post on the subject of Russia for today, I promise. From reader NG, here is a link on Putin’s love of Trump:
Russian President Vladimir Putin had kind words for his “stablemate” Donald Trump during an annual end-of-the-year Q&A session in Moscow.
“He’s a really brilliant and talented person, without any doubt,” Putin told reporters, according to a translation by Interfax. “It’s not our job to judge his qualities, that’s a job for American voters, but he’s the absolute leader in the presidential race.”
The GOP front-runner has been blunt about his plans for defrosting U.S. relations with Russia should he be elected president.
“I would get along with him,” Trump previously said of Putin, adding, “I would get along with a lot of the world leaders that this country is not getting along with.”
At Thursday’s press conference, Putin seemed to support Trump’s claim.
“He says he wants to move on to a new, more substantial relationship, a deeper relationship with Russia, how can we not welcome that?” he said. “Of course we welcome that.”
I’m glad finally to have a link in English because everything I had on the subject before was in Russian and people didn’t believe me. Remember what I always say: Putin always declares exactly what he wants with extreme honesty and clarity. We just need to listen. Putin’s advisors and analysts have been singing embarrassingly exuberant praise of Trump for months. I can’t turn on the Russian TV without hearing how fantastic Trump is.
Putin did amazingly well the last time a Republican was in the White House. He hates Democrats, hates everything they stand for, detests Obama, loves flamboyant oligarchs, feels it easy to relate to anybody who is also a billionaire. None of this is surprising.
Clarissa's Blog 
In any normal Presidential election season, the leader of Russia coming out strongly in favor of one candidate would be seen as a kiss of death for that candidate.
But this is a very bizarre year, and Putin’s praise for Trump will probably have no effect at all on the opinions of Trumps’ strong supporters — despite the fact that most of them are angry right-wingers with absolutely no love for Russia.
The liberal Putin-lovers at “The Nation” and “Salon.com” will probably just laugh off Putin’s praise of Trump, and continue to be mindless apologists for Putin’s policies.
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“The liberal Putin-lovers at “The Nation” and “Salon.com” will probably just laugh off Putin’s praise of Trump, and continue to be mindless apologists for Putin’s policies.”
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I will leave this link here I think.
http://www.eurasiareview.com/17122015-two-outrageous-russian-charges-point-to-new-dangers-ahead-for-ukraine-oped/
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They are coming up with new ways of entertaining their jaded TV audiences.
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Trump is now returning the favor by lavishly praising Putin!
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Color me unsurprised. It’s a total lovefest between the two.
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Trump is only telling his base what they want to hear.
http://gawker.com/donald-trumps-putin-admiration-is-completely-within-the-1748721848
Admiration for Putin runs deep in the conservative grassroots, and has for much of Obama’s presidency. This is not a fresh observation! Here’s a sampling of pro-Putin comments one Washington Post writer got, after Matt Drudge linked to his story. “The best leader I have seen in my life time. A man’s man who makes his own decisions and loves his country and its citizens.” Here’s a Free Republic thread: “Why fight Putin? At least he’s standing up to the Islamic crazies, the global-warming nuts, and the depraved promoters of the homosexual agenda. Unlike the craven and sicko leaders here in the West, who embrace their own cultural suicide.”
These are, broadly, Trump’s “people.” They love Putin as a sort of anti-Obama, and for that crowd, a Putin “endorsement,” however glib, likely means more than one from any actual elected Republican. This direct and explicit Putin worship has generally been limited to what we misleadingly call the “fringe” (Pat Buchanan is a longtime fan) but the sentiment has bubbled up into the mainstream discourse before.
Matt Drudge, weirdly, in 2013: “Putin is the leader of the free world.”
Not mainstream enough for you? Here was Rudy Giuliani just last year: “But he makes a decision, and he executes it, quickly. Then everybody reacts. That’s what you call a leader.”
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Perfect first comment to that article.
He’s the big authoritarian daddy that every right winger wishes was tucking them into bed at night.
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Putin is a totalitarian leader and their adoration of him reveals their own affinity for totalitarianism. Plus, as I’ve been saying, ideologically Putin is a model Tea Partier, on every issue.
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There’s a problem in the offing, though. Putin can’t afford to antagonize Russia’s Muslims. But when the Muslims hear about Trump’s antics, they might not be too impressed.
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Why would Russian Muslims care about Trump? Would Putin supporting Trump lead to Russian Muslims being hurt? I think not.
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Why did they care about “Je suis Charlie” that they organized a manifestation of a million people against it? They identify with people of their faith everywhere. And who doesn’t? Wouldn’t you care if Trump proposed discriminating against American Jews?
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