# A Russian President? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 7, 2017, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540 "2017-01-07T16:54:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/41 "2017-01-08T00:06:59Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Something I have been wondering about since before your elections last year, why does it seem that Americans are suddenly so blase about the fact that your president seems to be completely under the thumb of Russia and Putin? That would be because he isn’t. All that crap is exactly that - crap spread in the liberal media for liberals to blindly believe in. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/42 "2017-01-08T00:14:08Z")
Russia red baiting is even more out of date than Pog and Tamagotchi references. Moreover, there’s a segment of the right that sees Russia as on the right path. It’s a nation of white people who don’t let liberals run roughshod over them, and do things to fight “PC BS” like pass laws against homosexual propaganda and lock up agitators like Pussy Riot and bomb the hell out of Muslims. On the other hand, the amount of apologia over this is pretty amusing. Trump criticizes everyone and everything, except Putin. He denied Russia’s invasion of Crimea, echoing Ford’s gaffe about the Soviets not dominating Eastern Europe. The only change he wanted in the RNC platform was to soften the language against Russia. If Hillary surrounded herself with the same people back in '08 the GOP would’ve called her a plant. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/43 "2017-01-08T00:15:20Z")
There’s a phrase I read recently about a character who was hopelessly in love with an unattainable love, that he’d drag his ballsack over a mile of broken glass for the chance to throw pebbles at her shit. **Clumpy** just put me in mind of it again. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/44 "2017-01-08T00:17:13Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > There is “a little distrust” and there is red-baiting. Putin is using US as a bait, an exaggerated cartoonish external enemy in order to achieve certain internal political goals. Reprehensible, right? > > Well, a lot of politicians in the US suddenly decided that it’s a good tactic to use Russia as a bait, an exaggerated cartoonish external enemy to achieve (admittedly, different) internal political goals. And certain portions of the population swallow the bait hook line and sinker. > > The current atmosphere on one side of political spectrum (and portions of the other) of red-baiting, including the stupid assertions of “Russian ties” about anyone who ever had any business with Russia resembles quite nicely the McCarthy years. Just wait until confirmation hearings and the “Do you now or have you ever had business or other ties with Russia?” > > All you need is for Democrats to peel off a few Republicans to start the Congressional hearings where they pull people in and accuse them of being “Russian puppets” and the resemblance will be complete. If partisans on the board here are doing that, why not partisans in Congress? McCain even starts with the same letters as McCarthy. > > McCarthyism is coming back. As Karl Marx said, history repeats itself, first time as tragedy, second as a farce. The farce has started already. You know you’re full of it. I know you’re full of it. Everyone of woman born knows you’re full of it. Now you’re posting to MacDuff? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/45 "2017-01-08T00:20:16Z")
The right called Obama a terrorist sympathizer and a traitor because he didn’t say “radical Islamic terrorism.” The president-elect called for a foreign country to commit espionage against the US and the right calls it a witch hunt. Hmph. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/46 "2017-01-08T01:00:49Z")
Trump may be many things but a Russian puppet isn’t one of them. For all his faults, and I concede he has a few, he’s a patriotic American. The danger for them is that if liberals continue to portray Trump as the Devil Incarnate that’s a pretty low bar for him to jump over and look good when compared to the hellish portrait. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/47 "2017-01-08T01:08:13Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Trump may be many things but a Russian puppet isn’t one of them. For all his faults, and I concede he has a few, **he’s a patriotic American.** The danger for them is that if liberals continue to portray Trump as the Devil Incarnate that’s a\*\* pretty low bar for him to jump over\*\* and look good when compared to the hellish portrait. He’s Ego before Country. He’s already denigrated the entire intelligence community in front of the entire world to avoid saying anything bad about Russia. It better be, he’s not built for jumping. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/48 "2017-01-08T01:09:40Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > That would be because he isn’t. All that crap is exactly that - crap spread in the liberal media for liberals to blindly believe in. Thanks for your input, Comrade, you’ve been well trained. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/49 "2017-01-08T01:11:20Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > He’s Ego before Country. He’s already denigrated the entire intelligence community in front of the entire world to avoid saying anything bad about Russia. Indeed. Trump Ego before Trump Profit. Trump Profit before Republican Party. Republican Party before country. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/50 "2017-01-08T01:42:54Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Trump may be many things but a Russian puppet isn’t one of them. For all his faults, and I concede he has a few, he’s a patriotic American. The danger for them is that if liberals continue to portray Trump as the Devil Incarnate that’s a pretty low bar for him to jump over and look good when compared to the hellish portrait. Give one example of how is he a patriotic American. You mean that he said so in his stump speeches? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/51 "2017-01-08T01:49:53Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Give one example of how is he a patriotic American. You mean that he said so in his stump speeches? Hey, he’s made sacrifices comparable to sacrificing your life to save your friends. Like avoiding STDs from underage hookers at his parties. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/52 "2017-01-08T02:05:21Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Hey, he’s made sacrifices comparable to sacrificing your life to save your friends. Like avoiding STDs from underage hookers at his parties. Yeah. Feed me shit and call it mousse. How would I know? ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/53 "2017-01-08T02:10:42Z")
I would say it is tolerably obvious that trump would admire a ruthless kleptocrat who’s spent his life brutally dominating everyone who gets in way, assassinating journalists, destroying lives, accumulating power and wealth, and parading around his solely-owned media empire acting like the tacky strongman king of reality shows. What’s not to love? trump is far too self-absorbed and vain for it to cross his mind that Putin considers him just another contemptible victim of his manipulations. The whole thing is so disgusting it can hardly be believed. That so many Americans don’t even seem to see what is going on, is more disgusting than can be borne. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/54 "2017-01-08T02:14:26Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Hey, he’s made sacrifices comparable to sacrificing your life to save your friends. Like avoiding STDs from underage hookers at his parties. Even worse, he was saying it was the same as serving in Vietnam. Except for the limbs blown off or death. Remember how happy he was to get the Purple Heart he always wanted? And how much easier it was than the regular way? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/55 "2017-01-08T02:15:25Z")
[Trump Calls for Closer Relationship Between U.S. and Russia](http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-united-states.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0) Big surprise. I wonder if Trump and Putin have registered at Target yet? > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON — A day after the release of a damning intelligence report on Russia’s wide-ranging efforts to influence the American election, President-elect Donald J. Trump called on Saturday for a closer relationship between the two nations, saying only “stupid” people or “fools” would think this was unwise. > > The United States, Mr. Trump wrote in a series of Twitter messages Saturday morning, has “enough problems around the world without yet another one.” He pledged that Russia would “respect us far more than they do now” after he is sworn in as president, and said that the two nations could perhaps work together on the international stage… Trump’s tweets: > [@](#): > > Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only “stupid” people, or fools, would think that it is bad! We… > > have enough problems around the world without yet another one. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and… > > both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD! ALL CAPS-- pretty sophisticated way of adding emphasis, Mr. _Tovarish_-Elect. Geez, this might cause Ronald Reagan to leap out of his grave. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Grim\_Render](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Grim\_Render](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Render)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/56 "2017-01-08T02:41:30Z")
I am honestly more worried that Trump will seel out Ukraine or similar in return for a few billion appearing in a Swiss bak account of his. And consider himself smart for it. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/57 "2017-01-08T03:11:07Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Trump may be many things but a Russian puppet isn’t one of them. For all his faults, and I concede he has a few, he’s a patriotic American. He’s a totally selfish psychopath. He’s not patriotic at all, that would require the ability to care about something outside himself. He’d burn America down to the bedrock if it profited him somehow to do so, and never feel a moment of guilt. He’s a Russian puppet - or more of a Putin hand grenade - because he’s incompetent and destructive to Putin’s rival/enemy America. As for faults, he’s pretty much \*nothing but \*faults. The prisons are full of felons with more virtues than he has. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/58 "2017-01-08T03:19:49Z")
It’s a ludicrous overstatement to suggest that we have a “Russian President”. Even though his “reset” towards more friendly relations with Russia has been a failure, and he’s backed down or remained passive in the face of Russian aggressions against Ukraine and in Syria, Obama is not dominated by Putin; in fact just recently he wagged his finger at him quite vigorously. Trump might turn out to be even more accomodating to the Russians, but so far all we have to go on is semi-fawning talk. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/59 "2017-01-08T05:21:10Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Something I have been wondering about since before your elections last year, why does it seem that Americans are suddenly so blase about the fact that your president seems to be completely under the thumb of Russia and Putin? > > Maybe it was an inaccurate picture from the media over the years, but when we hear about the Cold war and McCarthy Trials and domino theory and the red menace and all that, we always got the picture that America and Russia were not exactly best buddies, and that many Americans tended to view Russia with a little distrust. > > But here we have Donald Trump, not just being polite to Russia but actually going out of his way to defend Russia and to act in Russian interests, even to the extent of publically blaming fellow Americans for things that Russians did. > > It was obvious throughout the election that he was a Russian puppet, its obvious now that he is a Russian sympathiser and yet it seems that the average American doesn’t really care? So what has changed culturally that has allowed this, why does it seem such a non event that your president is such an obvious stooge for Vladimir Putin? I think you will find that many of us Do care. Unfortunately the flag waving phoney patriots in Congress, and their blind followers don’t give a fuck. Now the son of a bitch is going to gut our intel agencies for daring to contradict his bullshit. He’s also doing everything he can to discount and sabotage any information that covers all the shit the Russians were doing - fake “news”, mudslinging, hacking, etc etc etc etc. He’s a fucking traitor. If this country was still worth a damn, he’d be swinging from a rope on the White House lawn. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2017, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540/60 "2017-01-08T05:25:08Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > The right called Obama a terrorist sympathizer and a traitor because he didn’t say “radical Islamic terrorism.” > > The president-elect called for a foreign country to commit espionage against the US and the right calls it a witch hunt. > > Hmph. Harumph indeed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-russian-president/776540.md?page=4)