It's actually odd that people can't believe Putin is widely supported. He is even widely supported among Russians abroad (excl people who escaped rather than left voluntarily) and those are also not a sample of typical Russians.
Majority of Russians inside Russia get their news from state and other Kreml controlled media, especially but also in Moscow and St Petersburg.
And my opinion is based on articles from people who have actually worked in Russia for years. One of them who wrote good articles on many aspects of Russian lives was banished from Russia last year because she told in one article that Lavrov used to be a distinguished diplomat and now persona non grata. Go figure, but Kreml makes no sense a lot of the time. Her name is Anna-Lena Lauren and these days she works from Ukraine. Not the only one of course, but she used to write a lot of the sort of stuff you don't see elsewhere, like what Russians really think. She had some friends there after having been there for so long (since 2006).
But what's so hard to believe? Were most Germans against Hitler? Putin has been hailed as a great leader for over 20 years now in channels that a lot of people are totally dependant on. Even if you don't believe the media that sort of bombardment will have an effect. There is also another reason: many still remember the 90s and Putin was an improvement over that and people are worried that if Putin falls what comes next?
how many have you spoken to first hand ?
rhetorical, I dont care
"What would more sympathy towards your average Joseph Russian accomplish?"
Well the lifting of some sanction for starters, would be a sympathetic action.
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