She doesn't need to have a Kremlin connection to be useful to Putin.

Which talking points has she repeated and how did she defend Putin?

This piece lays out the talking points and praise of Putin.

[latimes.com]

I'm interested in your thoughts...want to say more about that?

@LucyLoohoo Will begin with something intangible but so-far extremely accurate. That would be my instincts, particularly as a non-affiliated person who doesn't 'identify' with any category. It happened with Bill Clinton, with Barack Obama, with Trump and now with Gabbard. A strong gut resonance when seeing and hearing combined with good gut sense in the 'related' masses. Gabbard is unshakably strong, charismatic and focused. People, when they recognize it, respond to it.

There is a much deeper split on the Left than those who presume to be 'in charge' are allowing out or acknowledging via dominant information media. The Leftward listing party base has become vehemently anti-DNC establishment and ridicules the sham 'investigations' and other attempts to thwart the election outcome. THEY, weren't part of the corruption; being true idealistically progressive kept them relatively separate (independent) from that. If anything, most of them having been supporters of Sanders in the 2016 primary, are still smarting and angry from it.

Well along comes Tulsi Gabbard; a woman who demonstrated dedication to fairness while still remaining 'party loyal', by resigning her position on the corrupt DNC, out of personal integrity and sympathy for the victim of that corruption: Sen. Bernie Sanders.

What has Sen. Sanders done for her in return? (knowing his story and being from Chicago has made it no surprise) He 'kills Gabbard with faint praise'; the only kind that, given his position, he's permitted to offer her. Since his bandaged head and 'come to Jesus' experience before the last election, I believe (much despised for it incidentally) him to be a decoy candidate who will do an encore performance. Another way of putting it is, a Judas Goat who will lead a merry parade until a time when the last DNC train is about to leave the station. He'll either show-up at the boxcars again with his following or, if his nomination happens, will find a serious personal reason to have to drop out...

Hillary Clinton's seething hatreds and diminishing judgment resulted in a grievous error and huge gift to
Rep. Gabbard. Money almost couldn't buy the reverse psychology style endorsement with which she was gifted. Gabbard's gloves instantly went off, she spit on her hands and grabbed the spotlight to advantage. Now she is being SEEN and scrutinized broadly by not only the far-Left progressive base and remaining sane America loving Democrat base; her anti-Establishment, Hillary devastating, 'both feet on the ground' demeanor and charisma is also being noticed by the middle (that would include me) and many on the Right who view the president as also fiercely anti-establishment and admire it.

There are months ahead and Gabbard has only been a major topic for about a week. I see her as another politician who resonates with a strong pulse among the electorate; who voices the indignant sentiments about corporatist, globalist, elitist and media control of an erstwhile self-governing nation of, by and for the population; people spanning both ends of the political spectrum who feel like chicks who rightfully belong sharing a nest having been displaced by a huge cuckoo chick. We might all differ ideologically on what happens in that nest, but it is OUR NEST in which to work out those differences.

I believe she intends to either win the nomination in spite of the establishment, or (something else for which I can be despised) to await - since she isn't going to be in Congress anymore - the implosion and spend the next four years martialing support for a new, rebuilt Democratic party or a politically viable alternative. My gut feels the same about her as it did early-on with Bill Clinton, Obama and Trump. Right or wrong; time will shortly reveal.

So, see? One must 'be careful what you ask for'.

@Silver1wun
Interesting take. It's all over Reddit that's she's a Russian asset (thanks Hilldawg), so that will likely undermine her. If she keeps going on Fox, then the moderate Dems and the left will drop her like a used prophylactic

@dokala I hope for her sake and Democrats' sakes that they don't allow themselves to continue being 'herded' like timorous cattle with these neo-McCarthy accusations and what is tantamount to McCarthy era 'black listing'. So many Democrats who love this country and only have 'differences' about how life should be here, within our system, are the ones to suffer the most frustration. Personally, I voted for, and at this point will again vote for Trump.

Politics is soooo NOT about personality and NOT a beauty contest. It is about history, events, how events will be handled, whether or not stated promises and policies will be followed and the future. Allowing it to be about personalities and personal attacks for mostly fictional attributes is juvenile. I could support in an election a candidate like Gabbard, depending on who she might choose for a running mate and what policies they would implement; especially with regard to voter identity and plans, if any, for bureaucracy and the 'swamp'; which DOES VERY MUCH EXIST.

@Silver1wun Thanks for the explanation, Silver.