Monday, June 15, 2015

Russian President Putin Does Not Have A Poker Face


Dan Hill, Reuters: Want to know Vladimir Putin’s secrets? They’re all right on his face.

“I looked into Mr. Putin’s eyes,” Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) joked after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, “and I saw three things: a ‘K’ and a ‘G’ and a ‘B.’”

McCain was referring to Putin’s earlier career as a skilled operative in the Soviet Union’s intelligence services, stationed in Dresden, East Germany. Despite McCain’s quip, however, Putin seems to lack a key spy asset: an opaque poker face.

Others have attempted to read Putin’s ever so expressive visage. President George W. Bush’s first face-to-face meeting with Putin in 2001 was one much-cited example. After looking into the Russian leader’s eyes, Bush declared, he now had “a sense of his [Putin’s] soul.” After the meeting, Bush said he had found the Russian leader to be “very straightforward and trustworthy.”

WNU Editor: Last week they talked about Putin always being late .... Why is Vladimir Putin always late? (Shaun Walker, The Guardian) .... today .... they talk about his face. I can only imagine what they will talk about next week.

4 comments:

Daniel said...

He doesn't have a poker face because he doesn't need one. Actually, Wyradhe (interesting Russian historian and blogger) has observed a while back that Putin doesn't actually lie much, and when he does, he seems to deliberately leave some hints that let whoever cares see what his real mindset is like. He's very honest (as much as that is possible in modern politics), because of course he can afford to be.

The analysis angle reminds me of old Kremlinology. They're really grasping for straws, trying to find some key to something that, to them, is mysteriously opaque. Weird confusion, but I suppose he simply has blindsided them for good and they may never recover.

jj said...

I'm not sure if Putin has a poker face or not .. but .. he seems to me to be the only politician with a friggen brain these days ..

James said...

"The analysis angle reminds me of old Kremlinology. They're really grasping for straws, trying to find some key to something that, to them, is mysteriously opaque. Weird confusion, but I suppose he simply has blindsided them for good and they may never recover."
You're right Daniel. They keep looking for what should be true in their minds instead of what is real. Which will always make them blind.

War News Updates Editor said...

Could not have said it any better Daniel