Media Looks Into Pootie Poot's Soul, Sees Wrong Thing (Again)

Yesterday's Washington Post: "Dmitry Medvedev, a 42-year-old deputy prime minister known as a rare moderate in a hard-line Kremlin, was put on track Monday to become Russia's next president when President Vladimir Putin endorsed him. The surprise announcement, all but guaranteeing Medvedev victory in an election next March, ends years of speculation about Putin's succession aims."

Moderate? That sounds good! This Putin's all right!

Yesterday's Washington Post op-ed page: "Under Dmitry Medvedev, whom Vladimir Putin nominated yesterday as his preferred candidate to succeed him as president, Russia might have a serious chance to embark anew on a course of political liberalization and democratization. His selection may also provide an opportunity for Western governments and organizations to improve relations with Moscow."

Improving relations! Liberalization! Democratization! We caught a break with this one!

Today's New York Times: "The longtime aide tapped by Vladimir V. Putin to be his successor as president of Russia declared Tuesday that he wanted Mr. Putin to be his prime minister, offering the clearest indication yet of how Mr. Putin plans to maintain firm control over the Kremlin after his term ends next spring [..] As prime minister, Mr. Putin could very well overshadow Mr. Medvedev, turning him into the kind of figurehead president found in parliamentary systems like Germany’s or Italy’s."

Seriously, how stupid are you guys? You really thought that Putin was going to willingly give up power after rigging the elections? You actually thought that a hand-picked successor would usher in a new era of liberalism? I feel like that moment in Groundhog Day where Bill Murray notes "Maybe God's not that smart, maybe he's been around so long that he knows everything." Have these reporters and pundits just stepped out of J-school? How could they not see this one coming?

(By the way, Medvedev is the chairman of Gazprom, the state-run energy firm. Sound familiar?)