Check out the photo on the current Lucianne.com front page:
Many of the wingnuts have loved Putin for a long time, particularly Drudge and the Freepers, who giggle over idiotic comparisons with Obama (Putin fishes shirtless: Obama bikes in mom jeans!) as if they're pre-teen One Direction fans sneering at Beliebers. See also Pat Buchanan defending Putin on gay-bashing and Pussy Riot, and this right-wing columnist ("Is Putin the Russian Reagan?"). Yeah, he's their dreamboat.
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UPDATE: Eric Boehlert of Media Matters has more on this phenomenon.
