Thread: Kasparov to run for Russian presidency

Saw this today and wondered what people here think?
I've pasted the article rather than a link as the link is likely to have changed by tomorrow.

Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov has been earmarked as the man to topple the reign of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Mr Kasparov has been at the forefront of the Other Russia opposition coalition and received a resounding endorsement at a Moscow national congress last night, receiving 379 out of 498 votes.

The chess great, 44, founded the coalition in 2005 and has been charged with several public order offences since its inception, as well as being accused of forging his own airline ticket in May this year – the incident later found to be a plot designed to prevent Mr Kasparov from travelling to an EU summit.

After his selection last night, he said: "I will do everything possible for the ideas of Other Russia to win. This will work only if we stay united."

The Russian presidential elections are to be held in March 2008 – with Mr Putin constitutionally prevented from standing – yet Other Russia is unlikely to receive the correct registration to participate.

"I know that the road will be difficult," Mr Kasparov admitted at the party meeting.

A recent study by independent polling agency Levada revealed that just three per cent of Russians plan to vote for Other Russia in next year's election.

Never! Only over my dead body.

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

Never! Only over my dead body.

Cor, you were quick off the mark!!


Ive just realised, I should have put this in Politics!! Rather than copy this to politics and have 2 going at once, Ill leave it here and if a mod wants to move it cool and I'm sorry for giving you mods work!

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

Never! Only over my dead body.

Anyway, why not?

And if he does get in can we hold you to your comment?

Originally Posted by Ezri

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

Never! Only over my dead body.

Cor, you were quick off the mark!!

Bog, he won't seize the throne!

Anyway, why not?

Because 1) he's not Russian 2) he's an idiot 3) He's a traitor

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

Anyway, why not?

Because 1) he's not Russian 2) he's an idiot 3) He's a traitor

The Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov is an idiot!?!

O.......k.......

Genius in some area of life can be a complete idiot in all other areas.
(This is especially true, if we are talking about chess. )

No one takes him seriously. A serious candidate must have a strong influence or rely heavily on FSB (which has the power now) or have a formidable wealth at his disposal (I think several billion dollars at the very least) to present a serious claim for the Russian presidency. Kasparov doesn't have any. I'm not talking about being rich, but about being able to persuade the rich and the powerful to fund your election campaign.

And please, don't tell me, that votes of people decide anything. Had it been so, it wouldn't have made any difference because Kasparov doesn't have any support.

Originally Posted by Ezri

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

Anyway, why not?

Because 1) he's not Russian 2) he's an idiot 3) He's a traitor

The Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov is an idiot!?!

O.......k.......

Ever saw Rainman with Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman?

Originally Posted by Ramil

Ever saw Rainman with Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman?

You read my mind, it's the first thing I thought of when I posted!

But seriously (because I dont know) has Kasparov never been popular or has it been since he got into politics?
Why is he unpopular, who will people be supporting and why?

If this was WWII Id be in my comfort zone, but I have a lot of catching up to do on modern Russian politics!!

Originally Posted by Ezri

Saw this today and wondered what people here think?

Каспаров-политик не вызывает у меня абсолютно никакой симпатии. Каспарова-шахматиста я уважал. Сейчас он вместе с остальными шутами работает на западную публику. В шахматах ведь нет нравственности, одни мозги. Похоже, что точно так же он подходит и к политике.

Originally Posted by Ezri

Originally Posted by Ramil

Ever saw Rainman with Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman?

You read my mind, it's the first thing I thought of when I posted!

But seriously (because I dont know) has Kasparov never been popular or has it been since he got into politics?
Why is he unpopular, who will people be supporting and why?

If this was WWII Id be in my comfort zone, but I have a lot of catching up to do on modern Russian politics!!

No, he had been popular and respected right until he joined the opposition. He managed to pick the worst kind, so he'd lost former respect because of associating with the undead.

"Ringo Starr for President!" was more funny =)

Kasparov as a president will be a disaster. It's strange western a idea, that everybody, who opposes Puting is better than Puting himself. "Kasparov is young, famous, handsome, and 'democratic'. Yay!"

But if you check info about 'Other Russia opposition' you'll see it's a crazy bunch of different parties and organisations with rather radical (sometimes on the verge of terrorism) views, including famous banned National Bolshevik Party with semi-communist-semi-nazi views.

Previously a part of NBP programm was a creation of a grand empire that will include the whole of Europe and Russia to be governed under Russian dominance. The party saw the creation of this 'Eurasia' as an essential counterbalance to Capitalist global domination. I don't believe in a President who supports this kind of 'opposition', they are clowns (and a few of them are dangerous loonys). And Kasparov's interviews give impression that he really believe in some strange ideas and not exactly in his right mind (not like a person, but like a politic).

People like Kasparov already harmed Russia in the past. One man already tried to free people in 1917 without asking their consent. Kasparov is eager to help to destroy the current political system, but what he's going to bring instead? He thinks it's democracy, but I don't want to experiment. Because 70% of people supports Putin, how many support Kasparov? 3%? It means he'll make lot of people unhappy.

Also I don't believe Kasparov would be able to build anything. He has no experience, nor talant for the political activity of such magnitude. The most he's able to do is to babble on TV about 'opression'.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Kasparov as a president will be a disaster. It's strange western a idea, that everybody, who opposes Putin is better than Putin himself.

I agree. Despite I do not like Putin and his KGB's methods to manage the country, Kasparov will be even worse!

I agree. Despite I do not like Putin and his KGB's methods to manage the country, Kasparov will be even worse!

Putin is a pale imitation of Bush.

To prove the point, imagine that Bobby Fisher ran for president in the United States. He is just about as crazy as Kasparov. Great chess-players == weirdos!

Thanks for the insight everyone. Over here in the UK it's easy to think that 'cool chess player guy' would be a good bet just based on the fact that he's well known here. But it's interesting to see how completely different Russians feel about him in a political role.
I will be assuming he doesnt have a chance!

Kasparov is a joke. His chances at winning the election are as low as Zhirinovsky (lol). Whoever Putin nominates next will sure be president.