[mikomonstr]

Thank you Heidi! I can't say I'm all that surprised. It seems to me he has been grooming his public image for the past year or so. The region where he is going to run is where the tennis center they've built/are building, is it not?

[AnnieNik]

Originally Posted by monkeytattoo

Annie, is the news correct ??

he's in the primaries to enter the State Duma from the Nizhniy Novgorod, and not the NN's Duma, that's the difference. The rest is pretty much to the point

Originally Posted by mikomonstr

Thank you Heidi! I can't say I'm all that surprised. It seems to me he has been grooming his public image for the past year or so. The region where he is going to run is where the tennis center they've built/are building, is it not?

yes.

[monkey247]

Originally Posted by mikomonstr

Thank you Heidi! I can't say I'm all that surprised. It seems to me he has been grooming his public image for the past year or so. The region where he is going to run is where the tennis center they've built/are building, is it not?

Yes, here's a recent article on Junior Tennis (google translation). It doesn't say if the tennis centre will be in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, or somewhere else in the region.

I reckon Marat will make an excellent politician, he's going into it for the right reasons.

[mikomonstr]

If he could win by international ***** votes, he'd probably only have to focus his campaign on The Men's Tennis Forums...

[Mozart9]

I agree, Marat will make a an excellent politician. But he'll probably have to clean up his image a bit if he wants to be taken seriously ( I mean the being photographed in night clubs and running around with models)

[MariaV]

Thanks for all the updates people.
I'll stay out of the politics but that Marat is still in touch with the Mensúas and the Valencia people. That's why I love him.

I still maintain my position that he'd be a great manager, politics is ... . But if he thinks he needs that then best of luck to him!

[MariaV]

Originally Posted by mikomonstr

If he could win by international ***** votes, he'd probably only have to focus his campaign on The Men's Tennis Forums...

Marat used to win all the polls on MTF.

[mer]

Originally Posted by AnnieNik

Noooooo

Marat, I thought you had brain, why you are entering politics?

These days he keeps disappointing me ...

I feel your pain

[rosespower]

Originally Posted by AnnieNik

Noooooo

Marat, I thought you had brain, why you are entering politics?

These days he keeps disappointing me ...

but i agree

[flender]

Don't do it marat , I 'd rather see him hanging out in a night club with no job ,Than doing politics
Bad news too me
It sounds like Arnold schwazenegger to me eww
No offense to Arnold fans tho ....

[BlueLighthouse]

Cahill's wife is a safinette

@darren_cahill: Great to see Pat Rafter supporting Rusty. Prepping for his new gig as DC captain. He's my wife's #1.. check that.. # 2 behind Marat Safin!

[Soozka]

Am I the only one who thinks Marat would make a lousy politician?

Granted politics in the Russian Federation might be different.

But, if it were here - Its not the nightclubs and the models - plenty of politicians manage to get themselves involved with those. Its his penchant for stating his mind. A very unpolitical thing to do. On the other hand, he has, since he retired, done an awful lot of talking about what he is going to do and what he is doing - without having anything much substantial to show for it - and that, surely, is an essential for politicians. Maybe he'll make it. But I still find it difficult to see him submitting to party discipline with a good grace.

[monkey247]

Originally Posted by Soozka

Am I the only one who thinks Marat would make a lousy politician? … It’s not the nightclubs and the models … It’s his penchant for stating his mind. A very unpolitical thing to do. Maybe he'll make it. But I still find it difficult to see him submitting to party discipline with a good grace.

If obediently toeing the party line and swallowing your principles are what makes a good politician, then Marat would be “lousy” indeed!

To me, it’s precisely those qualities, his outspokenness and candour etc, that will make Marat a force for the good in politics, even if he's just involved in the sports side of things.

Originally Posted by Soozka

On the other hand, he has, since he retired, done an awful lot of talking about what he is going to do and what he is doing - without having anything much substantial to show for it - and that, surely, is an essential for politicians.

For sure, the ability to bullshit is essential for (certain) politicians, but Marat doesn’t strike me as one of those. We don’t know in what ways his hands have been tied with regard to projects that haven't yet got off the ground. Here's an extract from an interview with Renat Zagidullan (president of the Tennis Federation of the Republic of Tatarstan) earlier in May, on this very subject.

Interview / Google translation

- Returning to the interview. Safin question - How long does it take to build a tennis center? Answer - If the resolution is, then only two or three years. First you need to build them at least in Moscow, Kazan, Saint Petersburg, Sochi.

Zagidullan: Here, as I understand it, Marat simply misspoke. (Laughs). This is, in principle. The same clause, the phrase that "Kazan tennis complex is vacant." We talked about an interview with one of Safin heads the Federation, which concluded his communication with journalists the next phrase. Marat is still young and hot. He wants to be done all at once. The desire to perfect, but, unfortunately, impracticable in reality. We have some developments of Marat, connection, but I think he still has not defined himself to himself, as all his aspirations and dreams can be realized. I think that, in connection with the desire to do everything and be quick, Safin is little excited.

[monkey247]

Originally Posted by BlueLighthouse

Cahill's wife is a safinette

So is Cahill, I think. But he’s still in the closet and using his wife as a front.

[little_masha]

He said it before, that he doesn’t reject the idea of joining United Russia.

I’m sure he has the capability to be a decent politician, being smart and adaptable (yes, adaptable) and charismatic enough for the job.

I also don’t see why you, guys, seem that disappointed about this decision: he is probably a delicious guy, but I always thought that he’s also considerably pragmatic in certain aspects(*).

I'm not gonna say that I suspect this decision to be entirely motivated by business interests (his or other people's), but I wouldn't bet against either...

Bottom line, don't worry about his outspokenness causing him troubles…he’s a though cookie, he’ll make it through, hopefully with a sufficiently clean conscience.

_____________________________________

(*) My estimation: Marat Safin in Forbes 500 in 10-15 years )))))