>>>No, communism is still very much a thing in Russia, it’s just not Putin. The Russian Communist Party has 92 seats in the DUMA, the second largest party.<<<
In fact you are overestimating. Average communist polls in Russia were about 10% and shrinking for a prolonged period of time since about 1996 when Clinton helped his pal Yeltsin in stealing elections for the commies.
It is not until the last elections when Russian communists got twice that much.
It has followed after tons of anti-Putin propaganda in Russian liberal media inspiring idiots into their version of hope and change dope and an “Occupy Moscow” event, paid by Soros and Freeedom House and celebrated by both Hillary and McCain.
I loved the lamestream media coverage of the event in late 2012 on how “the Russians are about to remove a tyrant” and McCain’s crap on “the end of neo-commie Putin”.
Both media and McCain failed to mention that both the crowd was about 10 times less numerous than reported and Lenin’s portraits and red banners carried by their anti-Putin protestors.
Government (real and defacto) ownership of almost all broadcasting and industries is still true in Russia.
I know, the whole debacle last election about ‘Putin stole it!’ was ridiculous. The opposition never stood a chance in hell. McLame was just itching to have Leninists in Moscow again. I think Russia collectively laughed when he ranted in Pravda like a crazed loon recently.