The farce that is the Russian "Democratic" Election ended today and Vladimir Putin's Russia United party is expecting a landslide victory.  I would say that this is all but assured.  The question is... will they decide the landslide to be in excess of 50% or in excess of 60%.  This will help determine how far and how fast Putin expects to change the Russian government into a more... "familiar"... regime.

Like Hugo Chavez, in Venezuela, Putin has wowed many Russians with small economic reforms based in a petroleum based economy and has restored the impoverished Russia to a place of stature at the world table.  That being said, even in her declining years of recent history, Russia was never too far from the table if at all (being a long standing nuclear power and a world giant).  Putin has allegedly gathered millions of supporters that constitute a majority of the populus.  The funny thing about this is that no one seems to believe it, yet no one seems to openly defy it.  Aside from small factions, it seems to me that the majority of Russians we meet (via the internet and elsewhere), while highly upset about the situation, seem resigned to their fate of an eventual dictatorship.  It's akin to a conditioned response (been there, done that, got the t-shirt) and after years of corruptions, dictatorships and poverty the Russian people never truly knew what it meant to be a free people.  Russians can't travel freely to most nations without a travel visa to their nations of destination and perhaps aside from the Boris Yeltsin regime (although questionable) have never known Democracy. 

Once Putin came to power, the tide began to turn.  If you study the rise of Adolf Hitler, you'll notice a similar trend.  Restore some economic stability, provide opportunities for luxury and then slowly, systematically and methodically begin to tighten your ring of power.  First comes the media (once again state controlled), then comes the greater resources (who controls Russia's oil industry now?) and then come the elections.... (oops?). 

Hopefully the Russian people stand up and fight for their freedom... Although this is a worst case scenario and no one wants to see bloodshed, history has shown that freedom has never been given freely.  Unfortunately, history has also shown that in most cases, "Might makes right.". 

Good luck people of Russia... You'll need it.