The Rough, Rude Beast

Stat of the Day: 9%

Only 9% of Americans have a favorable view of Russia according to @Gallup

As recently as 2002, two-thirds (63%) of Americans had a favorable view of Russia. And Putin was President of Russia in 2002. How things have changed.https://t.co/a1PfqLMXZh pic.twitter.com/XO0mP1wME1

— John Anzalone (@JohnAnzo) March 13, 2023

Just a reminder some have been beating this dead horse since 2016:

I'm just now discovering that last summer #mattydickpics called for Hillary to be banned from Twitter because he misrepresented the Sussmann trial and misrepresented the entirety of the Russian investigation.

Imagine being duped by John Durham? https://t.co/vr2V6A2Zpq pic.twitter.com/4Bx4tbYSow

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) March 13, 2023

We can at least conclude Clinton was not an inspiring candidate in 2016, and neither was Putin. Putin’s fan base seems to be entirely within the Trumpian GOP. Which is to say, today: the GOP.

Putin is less popular than prickly heat, yet major GOP players keep praising Putin. Draw your own conclusions about 2024.

News: One of the most important developments so far in the nascent 2024 presidential race - Ron DeSantis Says Protecting Ukraine Is Not a Key U.S. Interest. In a questionnaire to Tucker Carlson .. w @maggieNYT https://t.co/lFFyiG76Nl

— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) March 14, 2023

American isolationism at its finest. I just don’t think that rough, rude beast’s hour has come ‘round again.