“People are looking at Putin as one who wrestles bears and drills for oil. They look at our president as one who wears mom jeans and equivocates and bloviates,” said fraction-term governor and noted Putin-watcher Sarah Palin on Fox News’ Hannity this week.
The Republican Party has long been searching for a leader who can take charge of their fractured caucus and stand up to the “feminized atmosphere” of the media. In their search for a strong, decisive leader, they may have found the perfect candidate in Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin’s macho image, from his shirtless horse riding to his beefcake boudoir photography, has been a siren song for Republicans. He combines the decisiveness of former President George W. Bush with the Winter Olympics accolades of Mitt Romney, but without the need for compromise inherent in a democratic government.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani praised Putin on Neil Cavuto’s show, noting that “Putin decides what he wants to do and he does it in half a day. He makes a decision and he executes it quickly. Then everybody reacts. That’s what you call a leader. President Obama, he’s got to think about it. He’s got to go over it again. He’s got to talk to more people about it.”
The GOP’s admiration for Putin has been further bolstered by his criminalization of gay propaganda and his efforts to re-establish the Orthodox Church as the moral compass of Russia. As conservative icon Pat Buchanan said, “Anyone ever heard anything like that from the Post, the Times or Barack Hussein Obama?”
Putin’s name recognition and his willingness to stand up to President Obama have made him an attractive candidate for the Republican Party. His strongman image has won him admiration from the right-wing-dominated talk radio, and he has become the Fabio of the Grand Old Party. It appears that the GOP may have finally found the warmonger of their dreams.
