Russian Riots Into Third Day
 

When you win districts with 99.52% of the vote and your opponents keep dying and disappearing, I think he is That Bad.

EET EES LIKE WEE ARE BACK EEN SOVIET RUSSIA!

But he's like the best Bond villain ever.

There's not nearly enough explaining his plan while on the cusp of victory.

He's the silent-type, professional ex-KGB agent. He wouldn't just spill the beans on any of his plans.

Yeah, Putin is too cool for that.
His second-in-command medvedev on the other hand...

Is a pretty tame personality compared to Putin.

Maybe he's not on the cusp of victory yet. Or maybe you haven't banged his hot female eye-candy hanger-on enough yet. Or maybe you're not a good enough spy to win your way into his fortress of doom through a clever poker game.

Whether he's 'that bad' or not depends on whether you believe stability; economic, financial (for his people), along with an increased general quality of life are more important or if human rights are.

He's been pretty good at increasing the general well being of Russia and her people. Granted this is most likely only because it is good for him, and with his ability to push through anything he wants (regardless of why that ability exists, 'ex'-KGB) he could have probably done much better, but it's unlikely anyone who is not Putin could have done even as well as he could.

On the other hand there's the whole killing his opponents and basically making it no real secret that the elections are a farce and he is dictator for life and you will like it etc. etc.