Bill Press: Vote for Putin?

For those who are discouraged about the choice offered to American voters in this election — especially those Republicans who can’t stand Donald Trump but can’t bring themselves to vote for Hillary Clinton — and for those who can’t see themselves voting for either candidate, suddenly there’s good news.

There are now three major candidates for president in 2016. And, no, I’m not talking about Gary “Aleppo” Johnson or Jill Stein. We now can choose between Clinton, Trump and — Vladimir Putin.

{mosads}Yes, the Russian leader has made a late entry in the 2016 presidential sweepstakes, thanks to his biggest fan, Donald Trump. In Trump’s eyes, Putin is the epitome of what a strong leader should be. He shoots tigers, rides horseback barechested and wrestles alligators barehanded. For such virile displays of his manhood — but also for silencing the press, imprisoning journalists, having political rivals assassinated, invading neighboring countries and bombing civilians in Syria — Trump gives Putin high marks. 

He even went on the Russian-government propaganda network RT America to applaud Putin’s 82 percent approval rating in Russia and praise his style of leadership. “Certainly in that system, he’s been a leader, far more than our president has been,” the GOP nominee said — an assertion his running mate, Mike Pence, deemed “inarguable.” Because, apparently, all Barack Obama has done is bring the nation back from economic chaos, save the American auto industry, deliver near-universal healthcare, end the war in Iraq, re-establish normal relations with Cuba and prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon for at least 15 years. Slacker!

Trump’s repeated, over-the-top praise of Putin didn’t make a lot of Republicans happy. Once again, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) rushed to distance himself from his party’s nominee, stating in a news conference last week, “Vladimir Putin is an aggressor that does not share our interests.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), as usual, was more colorful and cynical: “Other than destroying every instrument of democracy in his own country, having opposition people killed, dismembering neighbors through military force and being the benefactor of the butcher of Damascus, he’s a good guy.” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) summed it up more succinctly: “He’s a thug and a murderer.”

So the question that has a lot of Republicans and political pundits scratching their heads is, why? Why would Trump cozy up to a man most national security experts now see, because of his efforts to restart the nuclear arms race, as our greatest threat? 

There’s only one answer: After losing the election, the real estate mogul plans to build a new Trump Hotel in Moscow — plans, in fact, may be already underway — and he doesn’t dare alienate the dictator whose unqualified support he’ll need. It’s not personal or political, in other words: It’s all business. 

Do I know this for a fact? No. But if Trump wants to prove me and other commentators wrong, all he has to do is release his tax returns.

Meanwhile, American voters can follow Trump’s lead and write in Vladimir Putin. There is one advantage here: Every vote for Putin is one less vote for Trump.

Press is host of “The Bill Press Show” on Free Speech TV and author of “Buyer’s Remorse: How Obama Let Progressives Down.”