Professor McFall, this discussion reminded me of a long ago memory. In 2008, I worked on a civil society project in Azerbaijan. I visited several times during the year, ending in November, which was the amazing election that elected Obama then. But back in Baku, I was talking to a young Russian woman who I'd met. I told her about the upcoming US election and how we didn't know who would win. The young woman said that was very upsetting. She said she much preferred her system of knowing who would win, and found our system of not knowing as very upsetting!
So very interesting to be reminded of Boris Yeltsin and how different things could have been in Russia if someone like him could be his successor. Elections may have stayed free. But instead Putin reigns for the next 30 yrs. Even you couldn’t predict that although you were nervous. Thanks for the history lesson.
Professor McFall, this discussion reminded me of a long ago memory. In 2008, I worked on a civil society project in Azerbaijan. I visited several times during the year, ending in November, which was the amazing election that elected Obama then. But back in Baku, I was talking to a young Russian woman who I'd met. I told her about the upcoming US election and how we didn't know who would win. The young woman said that was very upsetting. She said she much preferred her system of knowing who would win, and found our system of not knowing as very upsetting!
So very interesting to be reminded of Boris Yeltsin and how different things could have been in Russia if someone like him could be his successor. Elections may have stayed free. But instead Putin reigns for the next 30 yrs. Even you couldn’t predict that although you were nervous. Thanks for the history lesson.
👁️ Opening the similarities 💔🇺🇸
Rather poignant as the midterms loom!