Russian poll on fictional presidential pick shows ABSOLUTE trust in Vladimir Putin

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The results of an experimental survey, which had showed that 18 percent of Russians were ready to vote for made-up presidential candidate backed by incumbent President Vladimir Putin at the 2018 election, demonstrate the high level of trust in the Russian leader and his judgment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Russia Levada-Center pollster published results of its survey, which asked Russians whether they would vote for fictional presidential candidate Andrey Semyonov, noting that he was supported by Putin. Eighteen percent of voters said they would vote for Semyonov, even though some of them acknowledged that they had not heard of such a person. According to the pollster, it held the experiment due to the fact the public had not formed an image of Putin’s successor.

“Taking in consideration all the known assumptions and reservations, that any social study must contain, one can say that [the new poll] can only show one thing – the absolute dominant trust in the head of the Russian state and his personnel policy,”

Peskov told reporters, commenting on the experimental survey’s results.