Octopus, teams, suspense

People hope under Medvedev's "umbrella" to slip past Putin into the post-Putin tomorrow

It seems that the presidential elections are approaching in Russia. The problem of 2012 stands before us in full growth. Typically, presidential elections are arranged like this. The parties nominate their candidates. The media vied with each other to evaluate their chances, ...

It seems that the presidential elections are approaching in Russia. The problem of 2012 stands before us in full growth.

Typically, presidential elections are arranged like this. The parties nominate their candidates. The media vied with each other to assess their chances, analyze their strengths and weaknesses. Public opinion is measured, graphs are drawn. Compromising firecrackers explode and go out. Societal problems and the answers that candidates are able to give to them are sorted out by bones. The scales are tilting, and the candidates are trying to turn the hinge of time in their direction. Until finally, on Election Day, people go to the polls to take stock of what they have heard in recent months.

For the second consecutive cycle, the presidential campaign in Russia has been proceeding in a very special order. From the very beginning it is announced that at the right moment Who Should choose Who Should. The one whose name will be put on the ballots so that after voting day he can officially be considered the president of Russia. Everyone is intrigued. Leaks, conflicting hints, and analyst judgments are gradually forming a circle of likely chosen ones. The media are looking at their every sneeze under a magnifying glass. Support groups are formed. Candidates for the election vaguely refuse, but at the same time they sit down inside their jackets. Some people try to say catchy stupid things because there is a strong belief that stupid things increase the rating. Hints of compromising evidence gurgle. The time that candidates are shown on TV is carefully measured, and graphs are drawn. The suspense is growing. And, finally, on one unremarkable day, Who Should announce whose name will be included in the ballots.

Here at the last World Cup, the octopus Paul became a hero. His predictions gave additional intrigue to what was happening. And now let's imagine that our championship has everything the same - teams, draws, match dates and an octopus ... But only the games are not held at all. On the appointed day, TV channels take advantageous positions opposite the octopus, commentators discuss what mood it is in today, which side of the tentacles are more mobile. At a certain hour, the octopus makes its choice. Congratulations to the winners. And the spectators disperse, realizing in the depths of themselves that they have not seen football, but still partly satisfied: it was still interesting. Almost the same thing as in football - octopus, teams, suspense.

For the next year and a half, we have to guess what the octopus will say. And this should create in us a sense of complicity, inclusion, giving the judgment of the octopus both more weight and more legitimacy (after all, everyone was waiting for his words so much!). Indeed, if you have been guessing for a year and a half what the octopus will say, making hypotheses, placing bets, it is already stupid and inappropriate to sigh about real football later.

The real content of the events here is the opposite of their appearance. The content of the outcome of the elections is known: power must remain in the hands of those who still have it today. But that is why it is so important to keep the intrigue as to how this will be done. To create a sense of the alternative of the uncontested. So that there is no suspicion that we did not choose anyone at all.

This year, however, the procedure for our anti-elections has been somewhat changed. Vladimir Putin said that closer to the voting date, he and Dmitry Medvedev, guided by the interests of Russia, will decide among themselves which of them to become a candidate. Here the main highlight, of course, is in these very “interests”. It turns out that the one who proves to another that his "interests of Russia" is more interesting to Russia, he will become the winner.

Of course, it would be great if we could even see this historic debate on TV. On the one hand - Vladimir Putin in a white shirt, on the other - Dmitry Medvedev in the same. Everyone has a glass of milk. There is not a speck of dust or an hourglass on the smooth lacquered table... But they won't show us. Because it is too intimate a matter for the authorities to know what the “interests of Russia” are. Indeed, according to the formula of Vladimir Putin, the one who knows these interests is the one who rules. And it definitely shouldn't be us.

However, we can partly observe the prelude of a secret historiosophical dispute. And by those body movements that its participants are already making and will still make, partly imagine the outline of a fateful conversation.

Apparently, Dmitry Medvedev should say something like this to Vladimir Putin: “Vladimir Vladimirovich, the country needs changes, cautious, controlled, it needs modernization under the leadership of the administration, it is necessary to overcome the signs of stagnation in political life, to allow the opposition to discuss certain issues, we need a rotation in the leadership of many structures and authorities, we need to give people hope for renewal, for new prospects ... "Vladimir Putin should probably answer this something like this:" Dima, these are beautiful words for Twitter, but how do they relate to life? Modernization will turn into theft, the opposition will create a bazaar and shout at the microphone, and, having sensed your new perspectives, people will no longer be afraid of anyone and obey. Who will urinate in the toilet those who need to urinate in the toilet? Who will send a doctor to those who need a doctor? Who will give a club on the head to someone who needs to be hit on the head with a club so that he wipes his snot and knocks his hooves towards the sea? There will be a tense pause when you can hear the sand flowing in the clock. Then Vladimir Putin will quietly ask: “Dima, are you feeling well yourself? Can you be the chairman of the Constitutional Court?” And the campaign for the election of the President of the Russian Federation will end at that moment.

Yes, Dmitry Medvedev will not fight with Vladimir Putin for the "Medvedev agenda": the "chemistry of relations" is not the same. But the paradox is that this agenda is now gaining supporters precisely because people perceive it as anti-Putin and hope under Medvedev's "umbrella" to slip past Vladimir Putin into the post-Putin tomorrow. And Vladimir Putin can no longer cancel this circumstance. The octopus is powerless.