US Russia Relations Worst Since Cold War

[Martinus]

How could it be, after two greats like Obama and Clinton presented Putin with the reset button? 

[citizen k]

Giant Putin banner appears on New York's Manhattan Bridge:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37581450

[Valmy]

How could it be, after two greats like Obama and Clinton presented Putin with the reset button? 

Americans are slow learners

The guy before them stared into Putin's soul.

[Valmy]

Giant Putin banner appears on New York's Manhattan Bridge:

See? That never would have happened in the Cold War

[Martinus]

How could it be, after two greats like Obama and Clinton presented Putin with the reset button? 

Americans are slow learners

The guy before them stared into Putin's soul.

It seems to me that every American President goes into the office thinking they can smooth things over with Russia - and by the time they retire they consider Russia one of the greatest enemies.

I suspect Trump will be no different.

[Berkut]

Guess what, US-Philippines relations are the worst since the Cold War, too. 

Russia is a nuisance to the US, not a threat.  Is it a threat to its neighbors? Sure, when has it not been.  But they're a far cry from the Soviet Union. They're punks, run by a punk and his punk buddies.  It's the mob with its own country. And enough nuclear weapons to kill us all.

FYP

[CountDeMoney]

Hey, I mentioned their revision of their strategic nuclear posture in 2010 months ago, and you told me I was talking out of my ass.  So fuck their nukes.

[Berkut]

Hey, I mentioned their revision of their strategic nuclear posture in 2010 months ago, and you told me I was talking out of my ass.  So fuck their nukes.

1. I don't think I did that.
2. You aren't worried about their nukes because someone on the internet pointed out that you talk out of your ass at times? I am not sure how that connects.

[The Brain]

Americans have to understand that Russia will always be Russia. I remember being amused when the Cold War ended and Americans seemed to think that Russia would become a normal country.

[CountDeMoney]

Hey, I mentioned their revision of their strategic nuclear posture in 2010 months ago, and you told me I was talking out of my ass.  So fuck their nukes.

1. I don't think I did that.
2. You aren't worried about their nukes because someone on the internet pointed out that you talk out of your ass at times? I am not sure how that connects.

Skybird, this is Dropkick with a red dash alpha message in two parts.  Lick. Miballs.

[Ed Anger]

WE ARE IN THE SNAP COUNT

[jimmy olsen]

The administration publicly calls out the Russians on their hacking.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-publicly-blames-russian-government-hacking-n662066

[The Brain]

Maybe the administration shouldn't whine like a little bitch every time they lose in CS.

[Martinus]

The administration publicly calls out the Russians on their hacking.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-publicly-blames-russian-government-hacking-n662066

What's the gain from that? At best it has no effect, at worst it makes America looks weak and increases support for Putin among Russians and alt-right.

[CountDeMoney]

GOP and conservative hawks can't claim that Obama's "reset" with Russia has failed when virtually half of them see Russia as an ally or at least a friendly nation.

The Cable
Almost 50 Percent of Trump Supporters Think Russia Is Our Pal
By David Francis
October 17, 2016 - 2:46 pm

Russian President Vladimir Putin has invaded Ukraine and annexed the Crimean peninsula. His cyber cronies have tried to influence the results of the U.S. presidential election. Washington and Moscow are at odds over how to deal with the Syrian civil war, even as Russia is determined to reduce the city of Aleppo to ashes. Putin is harboring Edward Snowden, a man wanted by U.S. authorities for leaking American intelligence secrets. Yet somehow, Putin remains popular with supporters of GOP nominee Donald Trump.

According to a new poll by Politico/Morning Consult released Monday, almost half of Trump supporters believe Russia is an ally, or at least a friendly nation to the United States. Some 19 percent of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's supporters view Russia favorably, compared to 24 percent of Trump backers.

The results of the poll should not come as a shock. Trump has repeatedly praised the Russian strongman, even calling on Russian hackers to release Clinton's emails. For his part, Putin has also shared warm feelings about the Republican nominee, calling him "colorful." 

At the same time, the poll found that only 32 percent of Republicans believe the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Putin is trying to influence the presidential election. Trump himself, despite receiving intelligence briefings about the matter, still deflects blame from Russia. Exactly half of Democrats believe Putin is trying to hack the election in some way.

And that all translates into little appetite for punishment. Only 34 percent of respondents said the United States should slap Russia with new economic sanctions.

Poll: Trump supporters warm to Russia
By Michael Crowley
10/17/16 06:45 AM EDT

At a moment of unmatched post-Cold War hostility between the U.S. and Russia, nearly half of Donald Trump's supporters describe Russia as an ally or a friendly nation, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll.

And less than one-third of Republicans accept the Obama administration's conclusion that Moscow is trying to influence the November election through computer hacking, according to the poll.

The poll results illustrate how Trump has managed to maintain his politically unorthodox view that the U.S. should have friendly relations with Russia, even as most other Republicans call for a hard-line response to Moscow's military role in Syria and Ukraine. Trump has repeatedly said he'd like to "get along" with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin and explored multiple business ventures in the country.

Democrats are far likelier to believe that Russia is trying to influence the 2016 election. Fifty percent say that it is, while just 32 percent of Republicans agree with that conclusion.

Earlier this month, the director of national intelligence and the secretary of homeland security identified Russia's government as the culprit behind the recent hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party and Clinton campaign emails. The officials said the hacks were "intended to interfere with the U.S. election process."

Trump himself has doubted whether Russia is to blame for the stolen emails. "Maybe there is no hacking," Trump said during his debate with Clinton last week. But speaking on Fox News Sunday, Pence contradicted his running mate. "I think there's no question that the evidence continues to point in that direction," Pence said.

The Kremlin is widely considered to favor Trump over Clinton, who is often portrayed in Russian media as having aggressive foreign policy views, and whom Putin has suggested played a part in stirring 2011 protests against his government.

Putin, speaking with reporters on Sunday during a trip to India, said he had "no intention" of influencing the outcome of the U.S. election. But he left little doubt as to where his sympathies lie.

"We don't know for sure how it will be after the elections," Putin said, according to the Russian news agency TASS. "We don't know whether ... Trump will be implementing his intentions, how far will he go in cooperating with us or whether Mrs. Clinton, if she becomes president, will implement her threats and her harsh rhetoric about Russia. She may correct her position, too. All of it is still unknown to us."

Although 49 percent of Trump supporters see Russia as either an ally or a friendly nation, they still hold an overwhelmingly wary view of America's strategic rival. Only 24 percent of Trump supporters say they view Russia favorably, with 19 percent of Clinton supporters saying so.

Among all registered voters, the poll found a divide on whether to retaliate for the alleged Russian hacking: 34 percent said they favor economic sanctions, with 33 percent opposed.

Only 20 percent said the U.S. should take retaliatory cyber attacks against Russia. Fifty one percent said it should not.

On Sunday, Pence told Fox: "There should be severe consequences to Russia or any sovereign nation that is compromising the privacy or the security" of the U.S.

Also Sunday, the Clinton campaign released a statement from senior policy adviser Jake Sullivan saying that Putin "is trying to put his thumb on the scale through cyber-attacks aimed at influencing the election because he knows that Hillary Clinton will stand up to him."

"Given the alarming set of facts, it's time for Donald Trump to condemn this modern day Watergate and disclose all of his campaign's connections to Russia and WikiLeaks," Sullivan said.

The new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll was conducted among 1,999 registered voters using an online panel from Oct. 13 to Oct. 15.

grumblerography:
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/poll-trump-supporters-warm-to-russia-229874