While America's Santellis and Limbaughs try to create a populist upswell against Obama, the new face of idiotic Russian populism is a young, blond Putin-ite named Maria Sergeyeva. The 24-year-old blogger bounded onto the national stage last January with her fiery speech at a pro-Kremlin rally, telling crowds she was “certain” Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev would “protect” her from the financial crisis. There's nothing particularly novel about her Nashi-esque positions, but when Sergeyeva says the Ukrainian-Russian gas dispute is an American plot, that foreign cars are Trojan Horses, or that the Central Asian immigrants should go home, people listen. Must be her delivery?

Sergeyeva's politics are evident, but her real agenda is to pick up a Duma seat some day, then shortly after that, become the head of a ministry (apparently any will do). But for now, she's basking in her Internet stardom, braggable as far as search numbers go, and garnering attention from international media. Hell, she just got pegged “The Russian Sarah Palin” in the U.S. Though Sergeyeva might scoff at the comparison (you know, to keep in line with the America-bashing), her circulating bikini photos speak for themselves. In all her criticism of the West, Sergeyeva is clearly taking a crash course in Western style self-promotion. Just be careful not to go rogue on us, Masha!

Pretty in Pink; Putin's Rising Star [Times Of London]

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