(Image Source: India Times)

BY NOE GANDILLOT
 

You're watching multisource poltiics video news analysis from Newsy. 

For just about any Prime Minister of a G8 superpower, riding a Harley 3-wheeler at a bike fest would be a peculiar kick-start to an election campaign. Vladimir Putin is -- not -- your typical statesman.

At a biker convention aboard a Soviet-era warship, Putin appeared dressed in black leather, with loud, Russian heavy metal blaring in the background. In the US, the motorcade mostly provoked incredulity and mockery, as on MSNBC’s Morning Joe:

Video: RT


“Yesterday the Russian prime minister roaring into Russia clad in leather to gain support for the approaching Russian presidential elections. He’s just a regular guy cruising around with like $25 billion. Look at the Russian Harley-Davidson effort. They were called the Night Wolves, nobody messes with the Night Wolves..”

CNBC also makes fun of Putin, and recalls that Russia’s PM is accustomed to such behaviour.

“It’s not Putin’s first macho stunt and he’s been photographed practicing judo, flying a fighter jet, hunting Siberian tigers. Who doesn’t do that ? (laughs) ”

The Moscow News supplies a saucy extrapolation -- courtesy -- Putin press secretary Dmitry Peskov.

“Nobody should be fooled into thinking the premier can’t handle a two-wheel model. “Putin is a very good rider,He’s got his own bikes, but they are two- and not three-wheeled.”

France’s LeMonde isn’t amused -- casting a critical eye toward Putin’s frequent stunts:

“It seems like the only limit to personality cult in Russia is Putin’s liking for heroic staging. (...) Over the years, Putin has grown familiar with such dramatic stunts, which only goal is to reinforce Putin’s position as the strong man - not to say the “alpha man” of the country”

Not just Alpha -- but Omega too. The Daily Mail notes -- if he wins -- he will have an incredible amount of power.

“Mr Putin's United Russia party is hoping to secure a two-thirds majority in December's vote for the Duma lower house of parliament - a margin that would give it the power to change the constitution.”

Russia’s legislative elections will be held December 4th, and will set the stage for a presidential poll in March 2012. Putin and Medvedev have not yet said who will run.
 

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