There were no debates, no primaries, no competition, and no choice. It was just a monopoly. There was only one candidate who must be elected. The practically unknown Medvedev knows very well that the main reason why he became president was his very close relationship with the enormously popular Putin. Russians believe Putin restored Russia's role as a world power after the fall of the Soviet Union. Actually he had a great stroke of luck during his presidency with very high prices of oil and gas, which are Russia's major exports. As a consequence of this economic boom, very few people want their lives to be different today. It's understandable, though I think they're just afraid of any kind of change. They voted for continuity but Putin's "managed democracy" is anything but democratic. Unfortunately this topic must hold little interest for most Russians.

Regards