(Vladimir Putin casts a vote at the Kremlin polling station- presumably his. No other protests at the Kremlin were reported, though there were some elsewhere. Photo Kremlin Press Pool via Associated Press).
We made the prediction when the voting began in Russia last Friday. We did not consider it to be a matter that required us to get too far over our ski-tips. It was fun to see something run the way it used to be. This one came off with crisp efficiency, unlike our recent contests here in America. We are having one later this year, and our old-school Primary elections in the two major parties have delivered a rematch of a previous edition.
We think we predicted the results of that one as well. This morning the reporting validates our credentials for accuracy. The nine votes apportioned in the Guam primaries have been allocated, and that pretty much wraps up the top of the ticket for both major parties. There was no word on weather the isle flipped over.
Still uncertain are the candidates who will back up the primary winners. No definitive word on that from either Washington or Moscow. The Russian voting had some familiar sounding numbers and percentages. It was sufficiently familiar to bring hoots of derision on social media on this side of the Atlantic.
You have heard them before. “Putin Secures Another Six Year Term in Office!” was the one least controversial, though it was followed immediately with some users decrying the results as a production of Mr. Putin’s suppression of opposition and manipulation of elections.
As we noted, we have seen this stuff before, both here and there. And elsewhere, as Splash noted proudly after crafting a new slide for Senator Schumer’s remarks to the Israeli Knesset the other day.
On Saint Patrick’s Day, Reuters reported Putin would bring in 88 percent of the vote. It is a little difficult to see who might have acquired the remaining dozen percentage points. There was some meager opposition resembling a shamrock on the ballot from Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party, Leonid Slutsky of the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party and Vladislav Davankov of the New People’s Party. Voting began Friday, and we presume the 88% for Mr. Putin was counted first.
So, regardless of whatn you may hear, part of the Presidential race this year is settled. We will keep an eye out to see if there is anymore clarification coming at us!
Copyright 2024 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com