Who's In Charge in Russia?

Check out Karen Dawisha's piece in the Wall Street Journal  today concerning a new book, All the Kremlin's Men, by Mikhail Zygar.  It sounds like a book anyone who follows Russia would want to read.

What is disturbing about the substance of this book is the power behind the throne, the business leaders of Russia who align with Putin.  He may have made the decision to develop a bid to host the Olympics, but it the portrayal of how he came to decide it was not pretty.  The Russian business class used some of the same techniques the Russian government used in the Ukraine to win over Putin.  They put billboards on his path to work, bought targeted media ads, and got a caller to get his question on the annual Q&A for the President.  It sounds crass, and makes Putin sound more like a follower than a leader in his own country.

Given our experience with the on-going political campaign in this country, I wonder if some of the same kind of thing goes on here.  The advisors are occasionally out of control, doing things to persuade the clients to adopt political positions, act in certain ways, and say all the "right" things when they get before the public.  There will be a revolt eventually to overturn this system, but until it happens we are stuck with money and handlers taking cattle prods to the people running for office.