Sunday is the Election in Russia for Prime Minister, with Vladimir Putin weighing in against Harold Stassen, or the Russian equivalent. In other words there is the Communist Party candidate, and a couple other lesser-knowns, all whom have been disallowed any television coverage, the closest he could get to wiping them from the face of the earth. It's not like they are a constant threat like journalists...

To prepare himself for the election, Vlad has gone through his much practiced pre-election warmups: deny media coverage to his opponents, put some in jail, beat up others, or at least harass and intimidate them, and kill an ex-spy living in a foreign country... Oh wait, he just caused irreparable nerve damage and sent the spy into a coma, from which he may or may not recover... so try again, this time killing an ex-pat businessman. Mojo complete...

After his landslide victory in the face of an apathetic populace, Mr. Putin will change the name of Moscow to Mordor, and insist on being addressed as The Dark Lord, where he will rule alongside the equally corrupt Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, whom you have never heard of...

This fits in with his self-perception of a patriotic tough guy because it's worked so well for him over the last 12 years. It's just that this shtick is wearing on the rest of the world, and it's time to move on...