Pretty wild how the Republican party went from calling various actors and others Russia lovers (and destroying their lives over it in the McCarthy hearings) to unabashed testicle chortling of a Russian dictator in just under 70 years.
It's right wing populism. It's the second Lavender Scare. Populism has never worked, it's too chaotic. But that's what regular folks are goaded into by people like Tucker Carlson. He's a multimillionaire being paid to defend billionaires. He is the wealthy owner class he screams about on TV.
McCarthy hearings? They said Hillary's "reset" of Russia relations was stupid. Then Putin invaded Ukraine (the first time) and Republicans started slobbing that knob.
But that was only in service to Tar and Feather socialism. By misrepresenting it as leninism. As soon as Russia adopted fascism like America. Republicans were overjoyed. Which is why they now defend their fascist friends. And use China or North Korea now to misrepresent socialism.