What many in the West don't get is that many Russians are a patriotic lot, and hardy in their nationalism, and with the history of the world since perestroika, they carry now a not insignificant disdain for "the West".
Putin really is the most moderate politician that is actually acceptable/ electable in Russia. And this is not a comment on the particular man, Vladimir Putin, but on the political positions or nature of him - by Russian sensibilities he is very moderate, excessively accomodating to the Western regimes, and a bit too much of a "weak pussy" who ought to have stepped in and militarily protected the Donbass (the area where the Russian people in Eastern Ukraine live), should teach the West a royal lesson in Syria, and generally dish out some Russian justice to the axis of Western evil. Let's make no mistake, the average Russian sees things just a little differently to the average USAian :) If Anyone Was Cheated by Kremlin Fraud in Russia Elections It Was the Communists, Not Pro-Western Liberals http://www.unz.com/ishamir/democracys-last-chance/ (Alt: http://russia-insider.com/en/if-anyone-was-cheated-kremlin-fraud-russia-elections-it-was-communists-not-pro-western-liberals )