According to a new poll reported by the Moscow Times:
Presidential hopeful Dmitry Medvedev has a long way to go to be viewed as an independent politician, with many Russians saying his authority is due to his closeness to President Vladimir Putin rather than his own skills and accomplishments, according to a new survey. Forty-two percent of voters said Medvedev's strength came from Putin's trust in him, while only 4 percent said his strength was his independence, according to the poll by the Levada Center, an independent pollster.
Another poll taken late last year showed Medvedev with 79 percent support in the wake of Putin's endorsement, more than doubling his earlier numbers. One might interpret this to mean that 42 percent of Russian voters are loyal only to Putin, and support Medvedev solely because Putin does. Or one might conclude that the polling companies in Russia are no more independent than Medvedev.