Debates between Grigory Yavlinsky and Anatoli
Chubais
In my opinion, Grigory Yavlinsky won a convincing victory
in the struggle with Anatoli Chubais, both rationally
and emotionally. I refuse to believe that the majority
of TV viewers failed to notice that Chubais virtually
did not answer any of the questions. I should say that
a man bearing such a load of a serious responsibility
on his shoulders, who fails to provide any decent explanations
of his actions, must possess extraordinary courage - or
barefaced impudence - to risk appearing in public. My
experience leads me to assume that the Russian viewer
has already seen through such behaviour. I think that
Grigory Yavlinsky easily won the debates, both with regards
the attitudes of the social groupings incorporated in
his electorate and, at least partially with regards those
groups of democratic or former democratic intelligentsia
that the Union of the Right Forces Ed. the party of Chubais)
appeals to.
With regards all the other layers, I think that Yavlinsky's
arguments were unlikely to secure a breach in the national-patriotic
ideas of the extreme left and extreme right. But this
is inevitable for a politician trying to preserve his
dignity. On the contrary, I think that the circles nourishing
extreme national-patriotic feelings must experience significant
inconvenience in accepting this new like-minded person,
their most hated enemy (Ed. Chubais).
Therefore, I should say that within the framework of
the limited, albeit still significant influence that a
TV programme may exert on viewers, the decision to take
up the challenge yielded positive results for Grigory
Yavlinsky and negative results for Anatoli Chubais.
