THE PROJECT “SOBCHAK AGAINST ALL” IN THE RUSSIAN ELECTORAL DEBATES

The article analyzes the complex of issues related to the participation of K. Sobchak in the presidential elections in 2018. The fundamental feature of the election campaign of 2018 is characterized by the expansion of the possibility of choice in the program and personal relations, which is reflected in the state and content of the electoral discourse. Sobchak’s participation in the elections is considered at the level of the technological project. The ‘Sobchak against all’ project was an integral part of the protest component of the electoral discourse. The impact of the project was directed to the relevant electoral groups. During the analysis of the project “Sobchak against all”, I put the emphasis on three interrelated aspects - the legend of the nomination; the positioning tactics; and the purpose of the project. I analyzed the provisions of the program documents of K. Sobchak as a candidate for the President of the Russian Federation. Taking into account the trends characterizing the current socio-political situation in Russia and the program rhetoric of right-wing liberal parties, I determine the semantic context of the key content elements of the electoral platform “123 difficult steps” and the electoral manifesto “11 reasons to be against”. The possibility of turning the project “Sobchak against all” into a political party I consider from the point of view of the strategic and tactical tasks incorporated in the corresponding process. I would like to prove that the main functional of the project “Sobchak against all” can be reduced to the mobilization of part of the protest electorate identifying itself as sympathizers to the non-system opposition. Also, I emphasized that the integration of the project into the electoral discourse was aimed at ensuring conditions for minimizing spontaneous manifestations of protest by involving the relevant segment of the electorate in the polling stations and counteracting hypothetical attempts to boycott the elections. I critically evaluate the possible prospects of the expediency of prolongation of the studied project for the subsequent electoral cycles.

elections, election campaign, political technologies, electoral debates, protest electorate

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