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>> Thompson: ALL ACROSS RUSSIA

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TODAY, VOTERS HEADED TO THE

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POLLS TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS IN

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THAT COUNTRY'S PRESIDENTIAL

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ELECTION.

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BUT EVEN BEFORE THE FINAL VOTES

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ARE TALLIED, THE OUTCOME IS

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ALREADY CLEAR: PRESIDENT

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VLADIMIR PUTIN WAS RE-ELECTED TO

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HIS FOURTH SIX-YEAR TERM.

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AS OF 9:00 P.M. IN MOSCOW, THE

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TURNOUT WAS JUST OVER 60%, AND

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EARLY RETURNS SHOW PUTIN

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RECEIVED MORE THAN 70% OF THE

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VOTE IN A FIELD THAT TECHNICALLY

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HAD EIGHT CANDIDATES.

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FOR MORE I'M JOINED BY NEIL

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MacFARQUHAR, MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF

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FOR "THE NEW YORK TIMES," VIA

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SKYPE FROM MOSCOW.

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SO NEIL, SINCE THERE'S BEEN NO

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REAL QUESTION ABOUT WHO IS

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GOING TO WIN THIS ELECTION, I

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UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAS BEEN A

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LOT OF EMPHASIS ON THE NUMBER OF

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PEOPLE WHO WOULD ACTUALLY TURN

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OUT TO VOTE.

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CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT

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WHAT PUTIN'S PEOPLE HAVE BEEN

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DOING TODAY TO MAKE SURE THAT

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THERE WAS ADEQUATE TURNOUT?

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>> WELL, THEY TRIED TO TURN THE

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WHOLE THING INTO A KIND OF

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CARNIVAL OR FESTIVAL AND LEFT UP

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TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES HOW BEST TO

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DO IT.

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THE GENERAL THEME WAS KIND OF

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LIKE PUTTING OTHER THINGS ON THE

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BALLOT LIKE SCHOOL ISSUES TO GET

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PARENTS TO TURN UP OR MAKING

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CAREER DAYS AT SCHOOLS.

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SOME OF IT WAS FUN STUFF, LIKE

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THERE WAS ONE CLOWN AT A POLLING

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STATION IN MOSCOW SHOUTING OUT

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QUESTIONS ABOUT RUSSIAN HISTORY

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AND IF YOU ANSWERED THEM

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CORRECTLY YOU GOT A FREE

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CHOCOLATE BAR.

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>> Thompson: SO WHAT DO WE KNOW

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ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE DID TURN

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OUT AND WHO TURNED OUT?

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>> THE EXIT POLLS INDICATE THAT

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THE VOTERS SKEWED TOWARDS THE

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OLDER VOTERS, YOUNG DIDN'T TURN

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OUT WHICH WAS KIND OF EXPECTED.

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WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM THEY KIND

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OF SAY YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT

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THE OUTCOME IS GOING TO BE AND

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WHO WE VOTE FOR IS GOING TO HAVE

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NO EFFECT ON OUR LIVES SO WHY

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BOTHER.

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>> Thompson: DID PUTIN HAVE ANY

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REAL OPPOSITION?

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>> NOT THAT HE ALLOWED TO RUN.

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THE MAIN CANDIDATE WHO SORT OF

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TRIED TO SET UP A NATIONAL

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ORGANIZATION RUN WAS ALEXEI

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NAVALNY, WHO WAS THE

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ANTICORRUPTION CAMPAIGNER AND

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THE MOST VOCAL CRITIC OF THE

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KREMLIN.

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AND HE WAS BARRED DUE TO

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VARIOUS FRAUD CONVICTIONS

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THAT EVERYBODY THOUGHT WERE

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POLITICALLY MOTIVATED.

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IT IS THE KIND OF FUNNY THING

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BECAUSE PUTIN EVEN IF HE HAD RUN

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A GENUINE ELECTION HE PROBABLY

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WOULD HAVE WON BECAUSE HE'S VERY

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POPULAR BUT HE HAS ALWAYS SORT

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OF MISTRUSTED ELECTIONS EVER

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SINCE HE WAS THE CAMPAIGN

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MANAGER FOR THE MAYOR OF

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ST. PETERSBURG IN 1996 AND THE

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MAYOR LOST THE RACE.

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SO HE HAS HAD THIS SORT OF

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INHERENT DISTRUST OF THE

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SURPRISE OF ELECTIONS AND NEVER

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REALLY LIKED THEM.

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>> Thompson: HERE IN THE U.S.

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THERE IS OBVIOUSLY NO SHORTAGE

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OF NEWS ABOUT RUSSIA BETWEEN THE

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NERVE AGENT ATTACK IN BRITAIN

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AND THE MEDDLING IN OUR

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ELECTIONS.

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I MEAN HOW ARE ALL THOSE ISSUES

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AND STORIES PLAYING OUT IN

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RUSSIA?

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>> YOU KNOW, THEY SORT OF PLAY

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INTO THE NARRATIVE THAT PUTIN

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LIKES TO PRESS THAT YOU KNOW,

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RUSSIA IS THIS BESEIGED FORTRESS

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WITH PEOPLE TRYING TO ATTACK IT

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FROM ALL SIDES AND FOR ALL

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REASONS.

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I MEAN YOU NAME THE POISONING

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ATTACK, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE HAS

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BEEN ZERO ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND

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THERE WILL BE NONE THAT RUSSIA

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MIGHT HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE AS

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ALWAYS, LIKE YOU KNOW, THE WEST

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SET THIS UP TRYING TO MAKE PUTIN

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LOOK BAD RIGHT BEFORE THE

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ELECTION.

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IT'S ALWAYS THIS SORT OF IDEA

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THAT RUSSIA IS A SCAPEGOAT AND

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WHENEVER RUSSIA TRIES TO GET UP

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OFF ITS KNEES THE WORLD IS THERE

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WAITING TO KNOCK IT DOWN.

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>> Thompson: I KNOW THAT PUTIN

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DIDN'T REALLY CAMPAIGN MUCH BUT

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DID HE PROMISE ANYTHING FOR THIS

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NEXT TERM?

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>> I THINK HE ACTUALLY ATTENDED

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ONE CAMPAIGN RALLY.

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AND HE JUST DOESN'T REALLY LIKE

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THE PROCESS.

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AND HE DID, YOU KNOW, HE SORT OF

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LAID OUT WHAT COULD BE CALLED

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HIS VISION FOR HIS NEXT SIX

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YEARS AND HE SPENT A LOT OF

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TIME TALKING ABOUT SOCIAL

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PROGRAMS WHICH, OF COURSE,

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PEOPLE WANT TO SEE IMPROVED IN

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TERMS OF PENSIONS, MEDICAL CARE,

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ET CETERA.

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BUT HE DIDN'T SPECIFY HOW HE

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WOULD PAY FOR IT AN THEN HE

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FAMOUSLY SPENT YOU KNOW THE

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SECOND HALF OF THE SPEECH JUST

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TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE

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INCREDIBLE WEAPONS THAT RUSSIA

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HAD DEVELOPED THAT SORT OF

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NUCLEAR CRUISE MISSILES AND THE

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LIKE THAT COULD OVERRIDE

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ANYTHING THE AMERICANS HAVE.

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SO IT'S ALL ABOUT SORT OF

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NATIONAL SECURITY AND RALLYING

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AROUND THE FLAG.

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>> Thompson: ALL RIGHT, NEIL

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McFARQUHAR FROM "THE NEW YORK

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TIMES," THANK YOU SO MUCH.

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>> ANY TIME.