For the common man, Russia is not that good of a place I'd think, drinking bath oil killed about 60 people, their planes are apparently so-so in reliability, low standard of living, small businessmen go to jail over red tape or taxes. It's a kleptocracy, good for those on top but not below. So, a nationalistic fervor is used for the leaders to stay popular. Actually, they must have one of the biggest Muslim populations in Europe, one that Daniel Pipes estimates, could overtake the ethnic Russian one: http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2005/08/predicting-a-majority-muslim-russia
@TomSea We in the west had the PERFECT change to gain a VERY powerful ally after the USSR collapsed,but first Clinton and then Bush did everything they could do to screw Russia at every turn,so it shouldn't be any surprise they started distrusting us again.
With the Clinton/Gore criminal conspiracy,it was all about stealing World Bank funds and selling them rotten food and defective goods. With Bush it was all about backing the Muslims against Russia because the Sauds OWNED that SOB.
The US and Russia SHOULD have been allies against globalism and Islam. Together,with our resources we could have easily bankrupted the Muddle East to the point where they were once again too busy killing each other than killing anyone else,and stopping the spread of globalism. Especially given Russia's 70+ year experience with pushing globalism and what it cost them to do so. Unfortunately,globalism is what all the neo-cons were all about because they saw personal profits and empires coming out of selling our country down the drain.
I first went to Russia in 92,and as an American I was treated a LOT nicer there by the the typical Russian,and even by the Russian authorities I occasionally ran into than I would have been treated in NYC. Russians LOVED America,and were giddy with excitement at being free after all those years to try to develop a system where they could live like us.
After Clinton and then Bush,even Russians that moved to the US don't want to go back there to visit because of all the hostility towards Americans on the streets.