People get their information about the candidates not from local media, but from the national T-V channels. And in this sense, Mr. Putin gets an unfair advantage. Vladimir Putin was practically unknown to Russians seven-months ago when he was appointed Prime Minister. Today, he is a regular presence on television. His 11-opponents for the presidency, by contrast, must depend almost entirely on the few minutes of free airtime granted by the state to get their message to potential voters.
Commercials are the worst.
They are just advertisements. I believe that during the election campaign, it is inappropriate to be engaged in finding out which one is more important, feminine hygiene products or chocolate bars. Rather than irritating potential voters, Mr. Putin's anti-publicity stand has proven highly popular. One thing I like about Mr. Putin is that he refused to advertise himself before the elections. Thirty-seven year old Valery Vyborov is an automobile mechanic in Belaya Kalitva.