Russian President Vladimir Putin sits before the start of the opening ceremony of the G20 summit, Hangzhou, China, September 4. MARK SCHIEFELBEIN/POOL/REUTERS
The Hill: Former US ambassador: Russians now think Clinton will win
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul on Tuesday said it seems Russia now believes that Democrat Hillary Clinton is likely to win the presidency.
"I am totally convinced that the Russians now have made an assessment that Secretary Clinton is likely to win," McFaul told The Hill in a phone interview.
"I think they have — you know, are resigned to the fact that they are going to have to start dealing with President-elect Clinton," said McFaul, who served as ambassador from 2012 to 2014.
McFaul said he is basing his belief off of "anecdotal" evidence, namely conversations that he's had, including "both with Russian officials and other intermediaries."
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WNU Editor: I have to concur with US Ambassador Michael McFaul's assessment .... I have been hearing the same thing from my family and friends in Russia. The reason for this shift in opinion are the polls that are being reported that predict a Clinton victory .... everyone that I know believes that they are accurate. As to what is my take .... I have been following U.S. elections since 1980, and I have learned one thing about polls .... they are used to influence public opinion, but they always shift to more realistic numbers a week before the vote. And while I do not know who will win this year's U.S. Presidency, I do remember the 1980 election when all the polls were indicating a few days before the vote that Ronald Reagan was going to lose big to U.S. President Carter .... until the day of the actual vote.
Update: The polling for this year's Brexit referendum is another case study on how polls say one thing before the election .... but a completely different story emerges when the vote is cast and known.
Update #2: Yup .... War over polls intensifies (The Hill).
