The mainstream press has made a mountain out of the molehill of conservative infatuation with Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin and blown it wildly out of proportion. Yes, pro-Putin Republicans are real and must be repudiated. But don’t be fooled. The GOP is still firmly in the pro-Ukraine camp, as it should be. National Review‘s Jim Geraghty said it best: “No conservative in his right mind should be praising Vladimir Putin as a good or wise leader.”
Nevertheless, it’s worth reminding those on the right who mistake foes for friends and extol Putin’s macho virtuosity to look at whom he admires. After all, a man’s heroes are often a testament to his character. So to whom did Putin pay homage last week? That would be none other than the late Cuban communist dictator Fidel Castro.
But wait! Isn’t Putin supposed to be a champion of Christian traditionalism and nation-first realism? Evidently, no. As it turns out, you can’t be some sort of great white hope for paleoconservatism while simultaneously honoring a decadent godless mass murderer. It looks like Russophiles among us will have to look for a savior elsewhere.