On LDPR and Zhirinovsky

A lot of people in the West and some in Russia think that LDPR and Zhirinovsky are radical nationalists. Sure, some of their statements can be interpreted this way.

However, if you think about it, most of their statements are too absurd to be taken seriously. In practice LDPR is a lot closer to Official Monster Raving Looney Party than initially apparent.

Of course, LDPR is not as much of an obvious satire as the Loonies so not everyone gets it as a joke. It's a 100-layer irony. Zhirinovsky treads a somewhat fine line between the Loonies and people like Trump, Pauline Hanson and Nick Xenophon.

Of course, now that Zhirinovsky is dead, the party will likely devolve into a simple government spoiler party.

Originally it was set up by KGB in waning days of USSR as a back-up government party. Because of that there is a lot of KGB and FSB personnel in it. 

That is also a reason why this party does not live to its name. From the start government wanted this party to steal votes of liberal and democratic opponents of the system from truly oppositional parties. Now that LDPR's game is up, it is up to the other quasi-independent parties like A Fair Russia to do it.

Regardless of its past and origins, it is probably the most successful satire party that ever existed.