Ukraine 2014

[Famous Mortimer]

Is main reason of Poroshenko support because he's a rich guy, then he won't be a corrupt?

I can't see any other reason to support him. He stands for nothing. This is a man who founded both the Party of Regions and Our Ukraine.

[Famous Mortimer]

No less a source than Radio Free Europe suggests Poroshenko's surprise status as front runner is probably due to him bribing pollsters:

http://www.rferl.org/content/poroshenko-profile-ukraine-presidential-candidate/25314782.html

[Famous Mortimer]

Olga Bogomolets endorsed by the Socialist Party of Ukraine. I'm liking her more and more.

[Famous Mortimer]

I like what it says about her ideologically though. The SPU are just barely reformed Communists (they actually endorsed Simonenko in the last presidential election). It looks like there's finally a candidate who's both pro-Revolution and unambiguously left-wing.

[Famous Mortimer]

Also, the Party of Regions expelled all the non-Dobkin members running for president.

[Famous Mortimer]

The SPU are just barely reformed Communists (they actually endorsed Simonenko in the last presidential election).

How exactly did they endorse him? Their leader Moroz ran independently of the KPU (and got 0.38% of votes).

My bad. You're right. I was thinking of Social Democratic Party (United). Still, the SPU are very hard left economically.

[Famous Mortimer]

Petro Symonenko has withdrawn because the elections will be "illegitimate."

[Famous Mortimer]

Exit polls. Looks like it will be one round

Poroshenko 56%
Timoshenko 13%
Lyashko 8%
Hritsenko 6%
Tihipko 5%
Dobkin 2%
Bohomolets 2%
Rabinovich 2%
Tyahnibok 1%
Simonenko 1%
Yarosh 1%
Spoiled their ballots 1%
Everybody else infinitesimal

Seems like a decent turnout everywhere, except for Donetsk and Luhansk, were only a minority of the electoral districts managed to even install the polls (no election held in Donetsk city proper). Generally, in those provinces the rural areas voted (they are ethnically Ukrainian, anywa), but only few of the urban areas were safe enough to organize an election. And, of course, these are very urbanized provinces.

Surge by Hritsenko was expected but unexplained. Surge by Lyashko is just bizarre. I'm guessing he must have just run a very anti-Russian campaign, because I think he got into a fist fight with some Russians.

Predictably bad results by Freedom and Right Sector.

[Famous Mortimer]

Really, if those are right though, terribly depressing.

Poroshenko is terrible. He's ideologically bankrupt and stands for nothing. That's bad because 1) I personally prefer a raging socialist and 2) With the lack of any ideological backdrop, the revolution will continue to be painted as a pro-Russian vs anti-Russian issue.

I had actually been hoping Tihipko got to the run-off, just to see the confused Russian reaction.

[Famous Mortimer]

No need to keep going unless the order changes, bro.