CNN

Let's see, Putin brings stability to his country. Profit in the form of oil exports. Value to the Rouble. Respect to a nation (alleged murders aside). Not too shabby. In that same time, the US economy has fallen, the dollar is shrinking, our imaged tarnished,and healthcare virtually gone. Don't fret though, our nations do have a couple of details in common, both present leaders stole the elections. Bush twice. And both have ties to their respective spy agencies. At least Putin did something constructive with his stolen election. Putin has my vote for POY.

yo its the same here you bush league hack

Bush is reaping what he has sown. An unstable world with two pre-emptive WARS with no end in sight. Putin thus emerges as the angry man that roused nationalistic fervor throughout Russia which has gone Anti-American.

Bush has the greatness to not only dream up a State of the Union address like AXIS-OF-EVIL speech but he dared deliver it because it suited his neo-con ideas of winning in IRAQ and rebuilding IRAQ with "IRAQ Oil money".

Where was Dr Rice then? Where is Dr Rice now. Salvaging what is left of the Middle East. Trying to BUILD any semblance of BUSH foreign policy legacy!!!

We are sitting on a powder keg of dynamite called BUSH who has the audacity to utter phrases like "World War III...,", a sitting President of the USA!!!!

Putin has to make the TIME cover for 2007!!! Time editor's are smart. Because a lot depends on Putin now!!!!

Has BUSH not done enough already!! Is he going to give us a WW III but for the CIA NIE report on Iran. Cheney "can not OUT" all the agents of the 16 Intelligence communities that go into making the NIE report!!!!

May GOD save our nation and the world till January 2009.

We NEED the CLINTONS in the White House to put our country and the world back in order.

I know, Putin is such a scumbag! It's a good thing we didn't have a hand in putting him into power! ...oh, wait... We DID!

Yes Putin made an impact in 2007, but he didn't free Afganistan from the Taliban or free Iraq from Sadam, he sat by and watched....the US Military is not perfect but they put their lives on the line to defend free people everywhere!

To all those fulminating about Time - the point of "Person of the Year" is not to endorse someone, it's simply to pick the person who's had the greatest influence. The fact that it's Putin - and it's an accurate choice - is an indictment of our failures, not a celebration of Putin. No point getting mad about it - do everything you can to get even instead. And not with Time, but rather with Putin himself.

Poor Mittens. He lost me at "Double Guantanamo". Add this "Man of the Year" comment to the list of things I've heard this campaign season that keep pushing me left.

Look at all ya'll getting so worked up about Mitt and McCains opinion about a Magazines opinion that has zero impact or relevance on anything. Oh the love... Merry Christmas to you all.

This will probably not be posted now because I wished you all Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to you to CNN.

to "Posted By Thomas" talk about a temper tantrum, your verbiage goes on and on putting down others that disagree with your view, yet most of the postings on this subject are very level headed, on both sides. If you do not see the reasoning behind Time Magazines reasoning maybe you should reread the criteria they use.

You seem to only see one side, instead of actually challenging your mind to look at both sides and make a decision all your own, rather than only listening to party line item thoughts. Before you say it, yes, I ask my own party to take this tact, if one does not fully think out their decisions on issues they end up sounding like these two yahoos who have insulted a nations leader before they are even in office. How do you walk up to a person to discuss world issues if you have already insulted him and called him down? Put yourself in this scenario, you are about to meet with someone that has publicly scolded you, what would your opinion be of that person? Think before you speak, first rule of diplomacy.

Jen in Cedar Falls, Ia: Well, that makes three of you that agree with Romney and McCain on how they handled this issue. I don't know about "hating" Bush, though. Maybe, being "educated" also means being able to see him for what he really is, and what his real agenda is,not just being an apologist for him and his administration.It will take many generations to get over the messes that Bush has made, and I can truthfully say that I am very ANGRY with your hero, G.W. Bush. And, it's too bad you're unable to see the truth of all of this.

Mitt Romney is ignorant in his opposition to Putin being Time's man of the year. Putin is a much better leader than our president and Putin has the respect of his nation and of other world leaders. Most of the faults Romney slams Putin for can also be attributed to George Bush. If Romney is appalled I am even more appalled that we haven't impeached Bush.

Posted By Tom, ALBUQUERQUE, NM : December 19, 2007 7:32 pm

Tom day after day you babble on about nothing...If you really believe Putin is more Respected than GW than you are sicker in the head than previously thought...Please Seek HELP

I'll bet you wish you could grow the economy at 7% annually, huh? If only it were that easy. It takes a lot of smarts to do that.

No, it takes an idiot to do so. Rapid growth rates have HISTORICALLY PROVEN to be unstable. Growing too fast continues to cause most economic relapses. The US economy is well regulated for growth rate, Russia's GDP is mainly from tapping it's natural resources. The US is still waiting to tap it's oil on both coasts and Alaska. I would worry very little about the state of the economy if I were you. These tribulations are very short term problems. Unless we make more stupid legislation like regulating gas mileage beyond the limits of basic energy balances (Ethanol costs more energy than it saves!).

By the way, the next President will not have to deal with Vladimir Putin as a head of state. His term expires May 2008 and he cannot run again.

Posted By Kerry, San Jose, CA

Pay attention. Putin's term as President of Russia will expire in May 2008. He has all but assured the election of his protege, Dimitry Medvedev, who returned the favor by promising to make Putin the prime minister of Russia if he's elected. When the next U.S. president deals with Russia, he or she will be dealing with Vladimir Putin, even if he happens to call himself Dimitry Medvedev on occasion.

"OK Mitt….here's your quote:
"He has squelched public dissent and free press".
The exact same thing that the Bush regime has done to their oppontents. Isn't this the pot calling the kettle black?"

Got proof of Bush doing that?

I would rather have Putin as Man of the year than Neo-con fascist Bush or Romney, at least Putin is honest about his politics, Bush and the rest of the neo-con fascist pretend to support democracy, Ha Ha Ha Ha, what a joke.

If I read the articles and heard the interviews correctly, the choice was based on the individual having had the greatest impact over the past year. Although I may disagree with some of his policies, Mr. Putin is an individual of whom we should all be more aware. As previously stated, it's not the individual who does the most good – or for that matter the one who has the most money – but the individual who has had the greatest impact. Russia is back in play – big time – and we need to be conscious of that.

Time magazine must be loving all these comments. Gives them publicity for a magazine tradition that died long ago.

I love how people in there bashing comments put the negative of putin with bush and then put the negative of bush with romney. Makes a whole lot of sense?!?!

Though I don't think I would have taken Patreus as man of the year I definately wouldn't have taken Putin. Regardless, Romney and McCain have always thought about the United States first and foremost.

Romney comes off as an American who is conservative in beliefs like the Republican party but doesn't have all the other foreign Policy problems that most republicans do. He works for the people of the country first and foremost. I like that!

Time Magazine has their own criteria for their "Person of the Year". I couldn't care less–it sure wasn't me, and it sure wasn't you Mr. Romney.

Fact is, your comments and other GOP are not part of the public discourse–do you think "if you are elected President" (like the moon is made of green cheese...) your public comments related to Mr. Putin may make political discourse with him, or Russia just a tad more difficult?

Truthfully, I've seen leaders put more thought into putting on their socks–than you or the "quick shot" artists of the GOP–have given to discrediting an allied world leader and business associate of the United States.

Are we back into the cold war? Some of the things our current President has done on the U.S. and world stage–could be viewed similarly in other countries. I do hope their leaders have a little more self control–than you and some of the other candidates have shown. What a dope!!

Is Bill from Blooington, IL (10:11am) for real? Guess which way he is voting in the upcoming election?

Who wants to stand by Bill, and vote the way he does, and celebrate another 4+ years of lieing, backsliding, failure? Who wants to vote to continue sending America back to the Dark Ages? Then step up and join the [R]-bots in their holy quest to re-formulate our country, while you hypocritically wrap yourself in the flag and consitution!

Time magazine trys to sell their rag. This type of pick works. Why should a business decision surprise anyone?

I'm not fond of Romney, but some of the comments below just sound ignorant. I have to agree with Romney's comment regarding Time Magazine's choice to title Putin "Man of the Year." I can think of at the very least, 10 people better suited to hold that position and Putin is NOT one of them.

"He has squelched public dissent and free press. And to suggest that someone like that is the Man of the Year is really disgusting. I'm just appalled." Mitt-the-Nitt

Switch in 'president of the US' for 'Man of the Year' in the above, and you will see, Mitt, exactly how over 1/2 of this country feels....about something much more important that a silly magazine's recognition. And by the way, that same feeling will linger if you happen to make it to the white house, Mitt. Its about both you, Mitt, and a journalism/media that no longer does its job. The dumbing-down of America runs apace, and the Karlidiots on the 'right' are loving it.

I agree,
Putin is a much better leader than our president and Putin has the respect of his nation and of other world leaders.
Which is such a contrast to our president who's approval rating is at an all time low. Keep spending that 10 billion per month on the Iraq war!

"... our general [Petraeus] who has brought success in Iraq.” If this is what success is, I wonder how McCain defines failure.

No, Mitt – what is disgusting is that you say you are pro-life, yet support the torturing of detainees in Cuba. Isn't it ironic that at the same time the DoD releases tapes of Iraqi torture chamber images, the CIA is destroying tapes of USA torture chambers? Shame on you and all the hyprocrites who are running on "morality" yet have no sense of what that is!

I want to let every person that agrees with what Romney says know, that you are not smart.

For the last time, Time does not give this out as a honor, but who has impacted society the most.

Please read the folg. article and you will understand why Putin is the man of the year!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/07/AR2007120701617.html

By the way, Putin's approval rating in Russia is mote than 70% whereas Bush's is less than 30%.

Only a complete and total ignorant full would compare the actions of Bush to the actions of Putin. I have yet to see any presidential candidates thrown in jail on trumped up charges. Also no civil liberties have yet to be taken away. Not to mention the fact that when it comes to elections in the US there is actual competition between the two parties unlike the massive domination of politics by one party in Russia with absolutely no other party capable of winning.

Name one time where we have refused to give visas to another country to come and monitor our elections and you might have a point. However as usual those who are so blinded by their hate of Bush can't logically comprehend the idiocy of the comparison of Bush and Putin.

"Chimpy McSmirkster". I love it. Classic!

Mitt Romney and John McCain are so ignorant of the fact that Putin has succeded Russia from great depression imposing lots of reforms. During 1998 for almost 10 years the Russian rubble has devalued so much that people have alsmost lost their entire life savings. And now with Putin in power he has regained the value of the rubble and brought prosparity to the country. He certainly deserves the credit. And look at what Bush has done to this country! The gap between rich and poor has widened, deficis are at record level, our national debt has gone from 1 trillion to 9.1 trillion, illegal war has drained all the resources, and constitution is been trampled. And still Romney and McCain still consideres Bush as a great leader to get votes from their conservative base. The problem with some voters that they don't read and do not know what is happening ourside US. Wake up America and make a big change in 2008. We don't need people like Romney-McCain-Guliani who are following Bush.

Gen. David Petraeus????

BWA HAHA HAHA HA HA HA HA!!!

That is too funny!

I'd support Petraeus as Man of the Year; by lying to the American people, he showed us just how deep in the pockets of the neocons we've all fallen.

You liberals are unbelievable. Do you really think Putin believes in equality? Do you really think people in Russia respect him? World leaders respect him too? To top it all off, you blame George W. Bush for everything, instead of attacking Putin for his arrogant assault against democracy. I find it amusing that you Dems refuse see that people like Putin, Chavez, and numerous radical Muslim terrorists utilize the same rhetoric as Clinton, Obama and Edwards. Interesting, isn't it?

apparently Romney is too dumb to comprehend what the "person of the year" award actually means: it's given to someone who has had a great impact on the world, or who is important in some key way. Sometimes it is an accolade, but other times it is not. Mr. Romney should brush up on his history, and see that Time chose Adolf Hitler as Man of the Year once, back in the day. What a moron.

"He's an honest, straightforward man who loves his country. He loves his family. We share a lot of values. I view him as a remarkable leader. I believe his leadership will serve Russia well"

George W. Bush speaking about Putin June, 2001.

Ooopsie...yet another thing a Republican said that turned out not to be true. Can't they just get one thing right?

This is exactly why I would never vote for a man like Mitt Romney. He is completely clueless. He also panders to the general uninformed public.

Time Magazine has chosen many controversial people since they first started making the choice back in 1927.

Time Magazine chose Adolph Hitler as man of the year in 1938. They also chose Joseph Stalin twice, Nikita Khrushchev, and Ayatollah Khomeini.

The Man of the Year, or Person of the Year since women have been chosen as well, is not at all a popularity contest or a touchy feel hug fest. It is a person who has had a lasting impact on the world community.

No matter. Mitt will fade into obscurity after the primaries are over.

Oh silly Willard!

Those same traits you bash have been personified by Time's 2004 "Man of the Year"...George W. Bush.

It's about who was most newsworthy not who is most moral.

2001 was the biggest joke when Rudy one. Bin Laden, though a complete scumbag, won hands down that year–that is, if Time consistently applied it's criteria.

Really Bill, don't be daft. Time is not backing communism at all – they are just saying that Putin shaped the news the most in the past year. As much as I groaned when I read that Romney and McCain wanted Petraeus, they might have been right. His failed policies in Iraq have crippled America financially and diplomatically even more – not to mention the cost of American lives.

Obviously Romney has no clue about Person of the Year criteria. The criterion for Person of the Year is not about who has done 'good.' Its about who has had the most influence good or bad throughout 2007, period. While Petraus has had a great influence on that fiasco in Iraq his worldwide influence does not even come close to Putin (whom I personally dislike). Maybe when Mitt realizes this he can flip flop his position as usual.

TIME? Who really gives a rodent's rectem?

RONALD REAGAN WOULD HAVE SAID THE SAME THING.

Glenn Beck. Wasn't he a 2nd baseman for the Cubs back in the 60's, no wait, that was Glenn Beckert. Who the hell is Glenn Beck anyway? Oh, another admittedley biased neocon with no qualifications that a supposed "impartial news" network allows to spew his right wing propoganda. Oh, and yes, Romney is so transparent in jumping on this. Where is the flag in the background and the Pledge of Alleginace being recited as he talks?

Romney still has my vote. I couldn't fathom electing Barack or Hilary, both have only legislative work experience.

Guliani stood up to organized crime as a prosecuting attorney, even as they called for hits on his life. Plus, he did clean up New York.

Yet Romney still has the core values of market freedom and self-sustainability. A successful businessman may be the type we need in office, not idealogical pundits.

Sure Putin choice is disgusting. It should have been AL GORE. Go Hillary 08!

Terrible blunder by Romney. IF he wins, this will be a major media talking point every time he interacts with the Russian government.

For Patrick in Denver:

In May 1999 Bush addressed the Texas House and Senate and uttered these famous words, "there ought to be limits to freedom."
Since that time he has done everything he can to take away freedoms and emasculate The Constitutional provisions of The Bill of Rights.
Do some of your own research and you will also learn that he is a spiteful, demogogic, mean-spirited, law breaking individual who would be an ex-con right now if it wasn't for daddy. At least G. H. W. Bush has some sense and the ability to reason. Dumbya has no positive quality that has ever been specifically pointed out by anyone.
Have a great life and keep buying those rose-colored glasses,
Bob

I am from one of the former USSR countries. Putin is VERY popular in Russia. He is more popular in former USSR states then local presidents. Russia has 10 mln illegal immigrants from there. To understand that you need to know Russian 1990's. Putin was good for Russia so far. His "political opponents" and "dissidents" are losers who collapsed Russia in 1990's whom russians really hate.
Surprise: Putin cares about Russian interests. God bless America with an educated and smart president who would care about american economy and american people, not japanese, not chinese, not iraqi... Russia is #1 importer of american chicken, Chevy is the best selling foreign car in Russia and Ford's sales grew 70% in Russia this year and Russian auto market is becoming largest in Europe. It is 2nd oil exporter, etc. Mr.Romney, better think how to keep Detroit car plants from closing. God save America from stupid presidents.

The "Freedom of Speech" police at CNN deleted my message, so here it is again:

I agree with Governor Romney's sentiments; Time Magazine's selection of former KGB despot Vladmir Putin is disgraceful yet not a 'shock'.

The entries in this blog by liberals are absolutely laughable; like a stubborn child who is throwing a temper tantrum (and needs a spanking), many Democrats REFUSE to acknowledge the improving conditions in Iraq due to General Patraeus' military leadership and President Bush's tenacity to squash the bloodthirsty, intolerant terrorists.

Liberals want to throw the baby out with the bath water; their hatred for President Bush is paramount, regardless of the ramifications it may have on our nation and our military.

Just yesterday a true TORTURE HOUSE (established by the terrorists) was discovered by our brave troops north of Baghdad. No, not water boarding or sleep deprivation; poor souls who were chained up, tormented with electric shock, and then shot in the head.

Is President George W. Bush perfect? No, the man has made errors, but he has prevented terrorist attacks on U.S. soil since 09/11/2001. Success is NEVER an accident.

God bless our brave troops overseas, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of them.

Beck interrupted him and read a quote from Time that explained why Putin was chosen, and it was praising Putin for bringing stability to Russia, etc., NOT because he was simply influential.

Posted By Scott, Muncie, IN

Ironically, Beck read a quote from Time that itself was chosen out of context. The bit about bringing stability was only the second clause of a sentence. The full sentence: "At significant cost to the principles and ideas that free nations prize, he has performed an extraordinary feat of leadership in imposing stability on a nation that has rarely known it and brought Russia back to the table of world power."

The rest of Time's reasoning repeats that idea - that Putin has brought stability to his country, but he's also squashed lots of civil liberties to do that. I don't think either can be denied, and I don't find that flattering. And the POY article itself isn't really flattering, either.

Time makes it clear they are NOT "praising" Putin. Romney is basically saying, I understand it's not an honor, but I wish they wouldn't honor him this way. It doesn't make sense.

Romney is absolutely right. Soviet monsters from Stalin, to Trotsky, to Khruschev, to Andropov have been darlinings of the cretinous left for decades. In the 30's and 40's you couldn't find New York "intellectual" who didn't think each was the Second Coming. They were all, of course, common thugs and murders. The New York Times is a national joke. You could fit the intelligence of Frank Rich and Maureen Down and Paul Krugman on a pinhead.

Mr. Romney needs to get over himself.There is more that goes on in the world than just what happens with regards to the United States.

My understanding is that Time chooses the person who has the most impact on the world in the last year (good or bad)just one more example of how the Republicans think they are the be all and end all, perhaps one should contemplate that if the United States had not engaged in a war under false pretense General Petraeus would not have the aweful mess to clean up that he has.

Mitt, did you read the criteria for TIME POY before you made this asinine comment? If you can't understand and interpret that, how can you be expected to understand and interpret the Constitu... oh, ok, now I get it!

Romney knows perfectly well what the Time Magazine designation "Man of the Year" signifies, but he also knows that many voters do not. It is his constant use of these kind of appeals to the ignorant that will prevent me from ever voting for him. He should go back to what he is very good at. Driving profitable business at the expense of everything else.

These people intentionally misunderstand the Time choice. It is not about who does the most good, but who was the most important figure of the year. Time is wrong every year, and this year is no different, but Romney's reaction is manufactured and fake. Some possible choices for Man of the Year might be Al Gore, who came in second, or perhaps Pervez Musharaff.

So what if Time backs Communism and lack of freedoms? That is their choice. If you believe in freedom, dont read Time magazine.

Mitt Romney just lost any chance of my vote for the presidency. Its ignorance and blindness such as this that has turned out country into a joke on the global stage. And what if he does become president? Now he's on record as condemning Putin – how is he supposed to gain credibility with the man on foreign affairs? Like it or not Russia is here to play.

The person of the year designation is not about who is the sweetest, kindest, holiest person. It's about who has had the most impact on the WORLD (that means more than just the United States), good or bad. Mr. Romney's "disgusting" comment was ignorant. The only people qualified to comment on Mr. Putin's character are those who have met him face-to-face. As for Gen. Petraeus, he won't deserve the honor givento Mr. Putin until Iraqis are as well-off as the Russians.

An unproductive, thoughtless remark, that makes him equally unqualified to conduct foreign policy as George Bush. How might he expect to negotiate an arms control agreement with Putin with such rhetoric in the background? CK

When I read stories such as yours, I am deeply troubled. The candidates running for president are vying to occupy an important WORLD position, not just the oval office. Time chose Putin, not as a popularity contestant, but as someone who has made an impact on the world stage – be it bad or good. Putin HAS changed the world, far more than your General has. I realize that your candidates are trying to garner favor from their constituency... but I am troubled when they display ignorance and narrow-mindedness. I have no say in your election, but I shudder when I contemplate the choices you make.

Great! This is just how we want to start off with a new presidency, by further alienating ourselves from Russia. I can already see this backwoods fool will only alienate us more from the rest of the world. It will be interesting if this moron, er Mormon, gets elected (God help us) and he meets with "disgusting" Putin for the first time. How awkward would that be?

It's this kind of chest beating that needs to be eliminated from our foreign policy. Once again, the conservative candidates prove that they do not belong on a world stage without a net. I think Putin was the choice, not for his humanity, but for his impact on the world. Like it or not, he has re-directed the focus of our relationship with Russia. He may not be a nice human being, but he has demonstrated he is an influencial one.

Tom from Albuquerque and John from Connecticut said it all and saved me some time typing. DITTO, at least the Russians can be proud more than I can say for being an American right now!

It seems Mr. Romney is among the many people who don't understand that TIME's "Person of the Year" designation is NOT AN AWARD. It's nothing more than the magazine's opinion of the person who, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, most impacted world events during the year. Past designees have included Hitler, Stalin, Kruschev, etc.

Atta boy Mitt! Your comment really sends a positive signal for setting up a dialogue with a major world leader even before your elected – NOT!
It's this kind of shooting from the hip comments that by Dubya and his crew that has the US held in such low esteem worldwide and all you've managed to do is keep the string alive.
I was forming the opinion that you were the best GOP candidate for the international world political stage but you just blew it...

Sounds like he's talking about george Bush

Mitt just doesn't get it. "Person of the Year" has nothing to do with positive impact (he should refer to the Nobel Peace Prize recipients for that). Instead, Time chooses the person who has had (or is likely to have) lasting impact on the global community. I think their's was a perfect choice...albeit a little scarey.

Further, callingt he choice disgusting begs the notion that the US still needs to deal with Russia as a force to recon with. Is he advocating a new line of "evil empire" rhetoric?

I agree Romney is showing ignorance of Time's rationale here, not to mention a willful ignorance of our own government's actions when it comes to curtailing civil liberties and ignoring the laws around prisoner detentions. 'Tis the season to pander.

Certainly Mitt Romney is entitled to his opinion (as he should as a candidate for POTUS). However, just like so many others have already noted, the TIME Magazine person of the year is not always Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny – sometimes the person is a bit more controversial than that... perhaps the next POTUS should be aware that we live in a world where sometimes bad things happen. It honestly scares me that someone like Romney could occupy the Oval Office and add another 4 years of backward thinking.

When I see comments such as this from Mitt Romney, it reminds me how fortunate we are to live in a country that enjoys and embraces freedom of the press. I applaud Time's choice and International view of the world we all live in. Mr. Romney's views are very unfortunate for a man who professes to be prepared to lead our Nation. He is clearly not prepared to do so. His views and potential policies are extraordinarily myopic and potentially dangerous to U.S. interestes.

Romney – what a knee jerk idiot – he obviously doesn't get it.

When is the last time anyone was happy with the Iraq war? Petraeus might be doing a good job, but he is guilty by association. Furthermore, when WAS the last time Bush had a 70% approval rating?

If Putin's personality and traits are questionable for man of the year...what about GW Bush
don't forget he has made up his own version of the constitution,put the US in debt for generations to come! Every facet of his crooked government has come into question(list is too long to mention)
His intellect is even in doubt now,
what little "brain" he did have left the white house about 6 weeks ago!

Success in Iraq? If Time Magazine awarded 'Man Of The Year' to anyone even remotely associated with the war in Iraq I would cancel my subscription for life.

it's not as though Time's choice reflects the best (moral/ethical) person for person of the year, but rather the individual who's impact has been most significant. While I'd still agree there may have been other suitable candidates, it is the very negatives Mr. Romney points out which make President Putin so interesting and a suitable choice.

Stop blustering and know what you're talking about.

Does Mitt Romney think TIME was electing the prom king? The Person of the Year does not have to be someone popular, likeable, benevolent, or American.

Personally, I was pleased to see a choice that reflected a critical thought process and analysis of world affairs, as opposed to a popularity contest. Vladimir Putin is brilliant, ruthless, dangerous...and effective. He's made Russia a world power again and has found a way to continue his leadership indefinitely. The next U.S. president will need to step carefully around Putin's Russia.

Romney and McCain, on the other hand, seem to view the Person of the Year designation as an opportunity to have a pep rally. Maybe after the primaries, they'll have time to sign my yearbook.

Felipe Calderon, Hugo Chavez, Alberto Gonzalez, Pervez Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto, Chief Justice John Roberts, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would also have been insightful choices. My own choice, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, was admittedly absent from most of the 2007 media coverage. But then again, so was most of Africa.

I can't say that I am 'disgusted'. After all, the man has been successful in turning Russia back into a powerful nation. The one thing I did get a kick out of was the 'success in Iraq' comment. Until we bring our soldiers home and cease to have them fighting and dying in order to pad certain people's pockets, I wouldn't call what we're doing in Iraq successful!

Do mormons get upset when Romney defends his faith by never mentioning the word 'mormon'?

E. C., Houston, Texas,

Go live in Iraq!

I hear it's really "booming" this time of year – thanks to Dubya.

The "Person of the Year" is not necessarily someone who "does good," but someone who makes an impact on the world stage, positive or negative. Al Gore should have been named "Person of the Year" – certainly NOT General Petraeus.

I pull up CNN in the mornings hoping to be pleasantly surprised by something. Sadly, this narrow-minded comment from Romney does not surprise me. The title of Time's Man of the Year is not meant to be an award or an honor. It's an acknowledgment of someone's influence and power over the past year, and for better or for worse, Putin has displayed that. By my standards, his actions in many cases have been deplorable, I agree, but that's not part of the criteria for Man of the Year. Last year, the title went to "You," and I think most of us can agree we didn't deserve that. In past years, both President Bushes and Adolf Hitler have also received the title of Time's Man of the Year. I believe I rest my case. This choice and the article bring to light some facts about Putin and Russia that Americans were not educated enough about. The wise American ought to be happy to have this information handed to them.

Richard in St. Paul: "I wish he'd take his Ku Klux Klan mentality and go crawl in a hole"

Drew in Rochester: "I don't think that General Betray-Us deserves recognition."

Funny, the media has always told us that the right has the monopoly on extreme rhetoric in this country.
The vitriol on the left is what will prevent the Dems from winning in '08.

Come on some people , read ( think ) some before you write . Man of the Year is NOT an award for goodness but some (probably the same foolish 20 some percent that think bu$h is great )keep up posting the same false outrage over " why was this dictator awarded this distinction ? " Sheesh !!! How many more asshats are going to make a comment like "They gave this award to Hitler right ? "

It's not a question of whether a person makes the most positive or most negative news. What is appalling is that Time seems to always show these dark figures in a favorable light by giving them a human quality. If you actually read the article Time wrote, you would get the same impression. And, interestingly, in 1939 they gave a largely positive impression of Adolph Hitler.

It's not any wonder that mainstream media continue to lose readership and viewership at a phenomenal rate, and that their credibility seems to continue a downward spiral as well.

1. Our general hasn't "brought success in Iraq." What is McCain talking about? 2. Putin has taken his country by the reigns, has transformed it for the better and commands the respect of his people. 3. With respect to mysterious killings, no nation has presided over, or been responsible for more deaths (civilian or military) than the United States. TIME magazine has made a superb choice.

Who cares about Time? I only get Time if it comes to me free though some other offer. Time claims that their Person of the Year (POY) has some true relevance, but it is all B.S. Time loves to claim past winners such as Martin Luther King represent what the Person of the Year is about about. But any thinking person knows that Time use to call this selection process, Man of the Year and some past recipients were Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. If Time was truly an independently and fair-minded magazine, which they claim to be, Osama bin Laden would have been Person of Year in 2001. Instead Time chose Rudy Giuliani, which only shows how weak and irrelevant Time's claim of POY.

It has been said many times – the Person of the Year, as chosen by Time magazine, is a person who has had a major influance in the past year good or bad. Instead of Romney blasting the magazine for picking a controversial leader, perhaps he should have simply commented on how his leadership would differ from Putin. McCain's comment is simply playing more to his base, as although Petraeus has certainly affected world events, how Putin is reshaping Russia is a much bigger story right now.

guys, guys, guys....Mitt is only expressing an opinion...just like how some of you express disgust by the simple uttering of Bush.

in the end, our ability to hate each other without resulting to violence is what makes America great.

Ok, everybody, let's sing America.

George Bush rode around in Putin's antique Trabant.

Putin should throw Mitt under the Trabant, if he ever visits.

Romney's an idiot. I wish he'd take his Ku Klux Klan mentality and go crawl in a hole.

Two words that sum up Romney's take on this:

Plastic
Knucklehead

I'm not a huge Mitt Romney fan, but I wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments on Time magazine's choice for "Man of the Year." It's not only disgusting, it's shameful. I knew that magazine was completely out of touch with reality – I just didn't realize it would stoop so low as to elevate a man whom most people I talk to consider dangerous & frightening.

Don't these fools understand that the Time designation is not an endorsement but rather just a recognition that the Person of the Year has had a substantial impact, good or bad?

Could be worse. Time could have picked George W. Bush again. UGH!

Last time I checked, one didn't have to do something good to be Time Magazine's Man of the Year.

With past choices like Hitler it does not really surprise me on this choice. Still I was thinking it should have been Barry Bonds for breaking the homerun record.

As an America and I do love my country, these so called idiots running for President are going to get us killed.
Romney, from the sound of it didn't even read the article.

How would we feel if the Russians decided that they needed a missle defense system on the border with either Mexico or Canada. Gen. Petraeus is just a clean up man. Sure it's easy to go blow up a country and then say sorry. Once the American people read into the crap that Bush and all of his buddies are feeding us and demand change and I don't mean voting for a new President,
only then will things change. Iraq was not the problem but yet we went in did what we do best, now we have to clean up a mess.

I think that this country needs younger blood running it, by that no one over 52 in government. It's the old school political process that's messing it up for young generations. At this point there is no one who has enough sense to run this country and if they do, they will run it into the ground. Just because your old doesn't mean you have the experience to lead the country!

Wake up America! If everybody demanded peace instead of a new television, there would be peace-JL

I don't see the issue... Time has picked villians before, as in former President Clinton, twice...

Poor ole Mitt, he's just sorry he didn't get it. Putin, scary or not, has, is and will excert a huge amount of influence on the world stage. It's beginning to look like Romney won't.

Putin is more interesting than Romney and McCain slapped together. General Petraeus is a monkey for the current administration. Why would anyone nominate him for man of the year. I am disgusted with the current state of this country and its political process.

Why is Putin person of the year?

Because over the past few years – with Russia preparing to go into the dustbin of history; he picked it up, turned it around and thrust Russia back onto the world stage. And then made arrangements so that he will have power near indefintely. That's pretty important...

The US is *not* the center of the universe – we live on a world with a BUNCH of other people. TIME's Person of the Year is basically a shout of "look at what this guy is doing".

Putin is slowly, gradually rebuilding a superpower. That is a *big* deal – more important than a two bit war in the middle east, and nearly as important as globsl climate change.

Sadly, I think within 20 years, the main superpowers will be Russia and China, with he US playing the role of the fading lion. Why?

Because we can't be bothered to get our OWN house in order. We're are speending a vast amount of our nation's wealth and prosperity elsewhere – instead of using it HERE – where *we* need it.

Look at the Katrina cleanup. Why is it that we are spending more money rebuilding IRAQ than we are rebuilding our OWN destroyed cities and towns?

I wasn't planning on voting for either Mitt or McCain. This just solidifies that some more...

Sorry Mitt, they didn't pick you. Jealous much?

While sending your adversaries to prison is wrong its only different by degree when compared to President Bush getting rid of General Shinseki who was NOT an adversary, but one of our top military leaders. That Bush was not even considered for Time "Man of the Year" at least shows some are "getting it".

What hallucinogen are these candidates taking? The U.S. hasn't ever squelched public oppinion and opposition? The U.S. hasn't ever imprisoned political prisoners? The U.S. isn't behind heinous, suspicious murders?
Vladimir Putin has put Russia back on the map as a major global player–full of determination and hutzpah, and, cold, calculated nationalism.
I wish we had a leader more like him....
As for McCain's comments: Success in Iraq? Nearly 4,000 of our soliders are dead. They died in vain to assuage a bug up Bush's butt.
–R.Westerfield
Bakersfield, Calif.

This clowns don't get that the person of the year isn't a popularity contest. It is the person who has most influenced the world for good or bad. Hitler was on the cover twice. If these "candidates" can't even grasp that concept...

Romney another MINDLESS loser!

OUR democracy seems to be turning into a money maker for the
politicans! .. who use our people for money and cannon fodder!

We voice our majority views ..over and over ..about the ...FAILED…
BUSH administration and nothing continues to happen! ...WHY…?
Is this a democracy? Letting a Dumb administration RUIN our country!
We put them in..office….>……LET’S GET THEM OUT! >We need political sincerity for our people!

Disgusted army vet! ..who wants America’s jobs / respect back!

For all of Bush's many, many faults, he actually has a relationship with Putin. On the fluke chance that Romney gets elected, he is going to have some 'splaining to do right off the bat.

I love how just because the man wasn't American, he couldn't be a hero. The man of the year must be the one in charge of a bloody war. And tyo Mr McCain, were is the success? Putin may be a little controversial, but I respect a man that has done everything that he has done, and really stands up for his countries beliefs, and does not back down, even from the USA.

Even if you agree with Romney, what a stupid thing to say. We are in need of a leader that can bering people together to fight the real war on terrorism, not an idiot calling the leader of another country names. If anyone had talked about the shrub in this manor they rightwingnuts would go crazy.

What has Betray us actualy accomplished? Nothing. He lead the greatest army in the world through the "surge" and they kicked ass. DO you think Betrayus should get the credit for the succes of our troops? I am sure any general could have taken the addtional troops and kicked as on the ground, we have done that since the war started. Our troop have always been overpoweing and beaten back every threat they have ever faced in Iraq. The problem arises wheitht idiots like Bush woh do not realize that sending in more troops and taking sides inthe civil war does nothing more than quelch the violence. Nothing has been fixed or improved. It is all political theatre with empty resolutions being passed on as results. Anyone who thinks we are "succeeding" in Iraq has no business running for ANY political office.

Time's Man of the Year is usually someone who has a profound impact on world events, not necessarily for the good. Didn't TIME also refer to Putin as "scary?" Of course, Mitt Romney neglected to say that.

Rumblee is exhibiting extremely poor judgment here. One, were he to become president, we will have to deal with the alienation he has caused, the rift between the leaders and countries that he has created. Two, his promotion of Petraeus is such obvious politicking that there is no way to take Ramblee seriously, no way to trust that he will ever make judgments based on sincerity and intelligence; his judgments will always be just politicking.

Anomaly is just a rich fake. God help us if he becomes the next Republican president of the Divided Republican States of America.

Romney another loser! MINDLESS!

OUR democracy seems to be turning into a money maker for the
politicans! .. who use our people for money and cannon fodder!

We voice our majority views ..over and over ..about the ...FAILED…
BUSH administration and nothing continues to happen! WHY…?
Is this a democracy? Letting a Dumb President dominate and RUIN our country!

We put them in..office….>……LET’S GET THEM OUT! >We need political sincerity for our people!

Disgusted army vet! ..who wants America’s jobs / respect back!

I agree with many comments here, with regards to Romney's ignorance of the Person of the Year's guidelines.

And this guy wants to be President? If he can't even understand something as basic as Time's requirements for this award, how can anyone consider him a legitimate candidate?

If nothing else, he has proved he is the master of pandering.

However, with the dissent that exists within the GOP, it seems that party is intent on immolating themselves by choosing an unelectable, radical right-wing candidate. I never thought I would view Bush as being even remotely rational, but the present GOP possibilities cause one to think so, if only for a moment.

"...my man of the year is one Gen. David Petraeus, our general who has brought success in Iraq.”

One man's measure of success is another's gauge of failure.

Another example of liberal media (Time Magazine) trying to chip away American values by supporting a dictator. Way to go!

I agree with Mr. Romney about Putin being named Man of the Year. I think it is just sick. What's wrong with Time Magazine? There are much more deserving men out there. That's one issue I will not be purchasing and I hope many, many others will refrain from buying that issue.

Person of the Year is not about popularity or likability or even patriotism. It has everything to do with world impact. President Putin has made a huge impact on his nation and world.
I admit that General Petraeus a great military person, but tragically blinded with the Bush mentality and has had little internationally when compared to President Putin.
Petraeus is by no means man of year.
Mitt is obviously pandering to his would be neo-con voters.

OK, we all agree that Romney is either ignorant to the alleged meaning of Time's Person of the Year, or he's pandering to an ignorant electorate.

BUT, let's be real...TIME sold its soul in 2001 by picking Mayor Giuliani over Osama Bin Laden (or you can argue they'd already sold it in 1999 when they chose Einstein over Hitler for Person of the Century). Point is, they can't have it both ways. Its not "Person of the Year who had the most impact on the world, even if it’s a negative one BUT just as long as that negative impact isn't too controversial to cause a backlash against our magazine."

They have NO credibility.

Who reads Time, anyway? It's entertainment, not real journalism. Think of it as one step shy of a supermarket tabloid, we glance at it but not buy it. Figure my money needs to go to other things; like heating my home? Come to think of it, a rolled up TIME can start up my woodstove...

Why should Time Magazine's choice of Putin as Man of the Year come as a surprize to anyone? They chose the Ayatollah Khomeini back in '81! I quit subscribing to Time Magazine because my bird died and I no longer had a good use for the magazine.

Putin is less disgusting than Mormonism or Liberal immoral values

I think Putin is an acceptable choice for Man of the Year, just not the best choice. My winner would be the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change because they(along with some help from a diplomat from Papua New Guinea) have forced US leadership to actually open their eyes and see what is happening around them in terms of Climate Change.

Mitt Romney is disgusting.

And I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't think that General Betray-Us deserves recognition.

I'm glad that Romney and McCain aren't afraid to speak out on the important issues.

It's interesting to see which side of the argument the misspellings and bad grammar falls upon.

I'm not saying all Mitt Romney supporters are idiots. I'm just saying.

This is a great way for two potential presidents to start their relationship with a foe not to be underestimated.

If the designation was limited to nice people, it would have been given to the first runner-up – Al Gore.

I'd say the same thing if Romney was on the cover...I don't think he realizes it's not an honor, but more as who is having a great effect on worldly happenings..Stalin won twice, so did Bush...Hitler even won in 1938.

Time long ago became irrelevant. It is nothing more than liberals complaining non-stop about the US. Who cares?

And yes, Putin is a piece of garbage and Time magazine being a Time Warner publication is just a promoter of scum. Who owns Time Warner? Uhm I wonder...

He's just mad because Ron Paul got an honorable mention. He didn't get squat!

Wow , Mitt almost broke a leg racing to the microphone to pander on this subject.............I love these idiots , even after today when the bigot tancredo quits , and later , when rooty and cement head fred go down we will still have the antics of the underwear man and the reverendpresident and the professional veteran to pass the time......now I know why the repubs giggled so often during the Clinton impeachment......

Thank you Liberals like Tom from Albuquerque, NM. You stated exactly what I expected to find from the liberal nut jobs we have in this country.

As Tom so eloquently put it, "Putin is a much better leader than our president"

Tom if you said that in Russia you would be in JAIL or DEAD. Wake up you fool.....or better yet please move to Russia.

Typo: It's actually Glenn Beck, not Glen.

""and I'd bet a dollar Romney is the Man of the Year choice next year…after winning the presidency.""

A DOLLLAR?
an single dollar (which BTW is wort about 42% less than it was 6 years ago)
That is funny.
You must not feel very confident if your only willing to bet a worthless paper dollar.

Romney is so not going to win. How can anyone look at this guy and not see the slime ball that he is. Oh wait, 90% of America does not understand we are in default, the economy is already collapsing, and that they are brainwashed consumer slaves.

Mormans who think blacks are black because they turned away from god are disgusting. The cult like religion you sat up there and cried about being so devoted to shows what type of person you are Rominator.

Romney and McCain are both tools – time's man of the year means someone who has had a big impact on the world – not necessarily good OR bad – I believe Hitler was man of the year once also. These guys are tools – Ron Paul is the only honest choice.

This just proves that both Romney and McCain are retarded. Time Magazine has said: "Man of the Year does not mean best person of the year." The designation is solely base on world impact, good, bad, or ugly. If either could read; the article does not glorify Putin by any means. But expecting either of these two idiots to have any knowledge of the subject before opening their mouths is asking too much.

I'm not voting for Romney, but I agree with him on this. Time must be keeping with the tradition of picking people like Hitler for this award.

This kind of language is EXACTLY why Mitt Romney should NOT be president of the United States. Like it or not, we share the Earth with Putin and the millions of Russians who truly support and like him. We stand for democracy, right? Oh yeah, except when we disagree with what the "people" choose....

Well I'm sure Romney has a copy of the issue with his mug shot superimposed on the cover. ... and what success in Iraq?

He obviously does not know the meaning of The Man of the Year. Apparently, he didn't read the article. The Man of Year Award goes to a person who has truly done amazing things, for better or for worse. In my personal opinion, Putin has done more good things than bad things for Russia.

Let's not forget he OPPOSED THE IRAQ INVASION.

Anyways, just because an American didn't get the award, he shouldn't be pissed.

My respect for Time Magazine has just gone up.

Congratulations to Mr. Putin on his award.

Well, I have to agree with Mitt on Putin being a bad choice, but that is where it ends. I am surprised that Mitt didn't want the KBR rapists to be Man Of The Year.

I Thought Mr Romney would be more knowledgeable of the international politics and that democracies around the world are different from the democracy we have in the US.
We act like Ostriches in the US and claim to have a perfect system.
At least Mr Putin was able to stabilize his country after almost 100 years of total chaos in a big and dangerous country like Russia.

Here comes the hypocrisy! Romney is upset because Putin has imprisoned people without granting them their legal rights, he has squelched individuals' rights and the free press, and his actions have led to the deaths of thousands of innocent people? Wait a second, was he talking about Putin, or Bush???? Romney clearly wants to see his own mug on the cover of Time magazine one day, and I fear that he will do his very best to imitate our current king, in order to do so!

Several years ago, when Time magazine selected Ayatollah Khomeini as Man of the Year, the publication experienced a similar backlash. Time clarified that the "Man of the Year" designation represented, in their opinion, the person or persons who was the most influential in the news, whether that influence was primarily positive or negative.

To many of us, the title "Man of the Year" would seem to be a positive conferral, which I'm sure is the basis for Mr. Romney's comments. I do think, however, he is going a bit over the top with his reaction. This is simply one publication's opinion as to who is the most influential person in the news for the past calendar year.

I guess they just dont understand that it is given to the person with the most influence or impact in a given year... morons.

Interesting Mitt. Of course, you negelct to say that the US president and administration have illegally detained "enemy combatants" for years without justification, initiated an illegal domestic spying program that violates several articles of the constitution and basically bankrupted this country. Oh yeah, how many American's support Bush? How many Russians support Putin? Enough said. I think that it's disgusting that our "leaders" hold this country up on a pillar when we've they are the ones that have been shaming our name for the past 7 years.

What an interesting comment Mitt. This really demonstrates your obvious ignorance of foriegn affairs. If you are elected president, what will your first words to Prime Minister Putin be? "Will you sign this copy of Time magazine for me?"

I personally would have picked Osama bin Laden. By avoiding capture and remaining free for the last five years he has exposed the incompetance of the current president and his administration. This is all the more embarrassing considering that the president has gotten everything he wanted from the Republican-controlled congress.

Everyone condemed Musharraf for imprisoning his judges and lawyers across the country, and engaging in a martial law that effectively distanced him from his allies.

The Junta has killed [reportedly] over 200 people, jailed over thousands, and violently assaulted monks during a peaceful protest.

Putin has jailed his opponents, alleged assassinations of journalists and critics, the main suspect in the Litvenenko poisoning is now part of the Kremlin, and effectively destroyed Chechnya, while showing off that his bombs are the largest in the world. And some people, without proof, would say that the attack in North Ossetia was orchestrated by him to justify his Chechnya action, though no proof is obvious.

Putin has been newsworthy this year, and in turn has earned the distinction over those who would rather be humble about their achievements.

Doesn't change the fact he's a humorless Tsar who has destroyed the democracy and freedom of his country, perferring to give his larger seats to those who work for his oil company while he spits on the allies who helped him get as far as he has made it.

So, congrats to him with his notable achievement. He's definitely been newsworthy this year.

Time magazine choice totally inappropriate, I don't know if they are living in another world or what! Is like to choose Fidel Castro as charitable icon instead of a murderer!Guys you have no credibility, just another bias mass junk paper publishers!

Having a member of a cult as man of the year is no better either.

Just wondering, but what are all you democrats going to complain about after January, 2009? You complained about Clinton for eight years, and now I hear & read, "blah, blah, blah, Bush this, Bush that, he's a bad guy, unjust war, blah, blah, blah." So- if Putin is such a great guy, then why you don't you all move to Russia?

It blows my mind that a presidential candidate would think that it's a good idea to antagonize a foreign leader before he's even elected to office. Way to open up the door for diplomacy for the Romney administration there, Mitt! Make no mistake, these people (the neocons) have utter contempt for the rest of the globe. Putin has a sorry record on human rights and civil liberties (which the article DID mention), but at the end of the day, if you believe we have to fight a global war on terror, you need the Russians on our side. Not to mention the fact that we are trying to ensure the security of all of the WMD's that the Soviets built or developed. How completely incompetent.

well, man of the year is awarded to the most INFLUENTIAL man. Petraus may have succeeded in beating the insurgents a little bit, but Putin reformed Russia and put it back as a world power. He's going to annex Belarus next, further extending its territory. The guy is a genius in every word, I admire him.

Ron Paul is my man of the year!!!

First of all, it is PERSON of the year, not MAN of the year. Second... Time clearly states that this title is a dubious honor at best, acknowledging the most powerful or influential person, not necessarily the "nicest" or "best" person. Over the past decades many "infamous" people have received this title. Poor Mitt does not understand the title and he's just shooting his mouth off in ignorance.

George W. Bush was times Man of the Year 2004. Now talk about "disgusting"!

I agree with Governor Romney's sentiments; Time Magazine's selection of former KGB despot Vladmir Putin is disgraceful yet not a 'shock'.

The entries in this blog by liberals are absolutely laughable; like a stubborn child who is throwing a temper tantrum (and needs a spanking), many Democrats REFUSE to acknowledge the improving conditions in Iraq due to General Patraeus' military leadership and President Bush's tenacity to squash the bloodthirsty, intolerant terrorists.

Liberals want to throw the baby out with the bath water; their hatred for President Bush is paramount, regardless of the ramifications it may have on our nation and our military.

Just yesterday a true TORTURE HOUSE (established by the terrorists) was discovered by our brave troops north of Baghdad. No, not water boarding or sleep deprivation; poor souls who were chained up, tormented with electric shock, and then shot in the head.

Is President George W. Bush perfect? No, the man has made errors, but he has prevented terrorist attacks on U.S. soil since 09/11/2001. Success is NEVER an accident.

God bless our brave troops overseas, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of them.

Putin? You mean the man who headed the gov't that poisoned two people who opposed his tyrannical leadership? Did the new President of the Ukraine whose face is now permanently marred get to vote? That is truly special.

Time just gave Romney and McCain easy political points. But McCain went juuuuust a bit to far with his Petraeus calling Iraq a 'SUCCESS'.

Romney is a just being a political moocher with his comments as is McCain.

Let's get back to the issues..shall we?

And TIME magazine needs to be boycotted for sheer stupidity and bad timing. If Putin is the Man of The Year then Cheney is the Hunter of The
Year. Get a clue.

This is so funny... If you don't like Time's choice for person of the year DON'T READ THE MAGAZINE.

I guess the follow up story will be Romney's criticism for "Seventeen" magazine picking Paris Hilton as the Totally Cool Celebrity of the Year.

Here we go with another impressive display of judgement for someone who thinks they have the ability to represent this country on a world scale. Shame on you Mitt. ...does your faith say anything about who gets to judge whom? ...and if you by chance happen to be elected president, wonder how you will handle yourself in a summit with Putin after making such public statements. You aren't handling pressure very well at all...and the heat hasn't even been turned up yet.

Undiplomatic of McCain & Romney to say the least. You both flunked the ability to be diplomatic statesmen of a man you may have to deal with someday, (if elected).
And how can you lie to the American people ? when we know that the White House has also squelched public dissent and free press. You speak forked with tongues.
And please do your homework next time before you speak. Time Awards have been given historically to people that have affected the world the most. If the awards were given to people whom you most like, probably Oprah Winfrey would have been picked. Sorry, neither of you qualify.

Now why would Time-Warner's Time magazine choose Putin as man of the year? He certainly has a trememdous effect on our world, stopping the old USSR's transition to democracy and re-establishing a Stalinist dictatorship, threatening to revive the Cold War, and providing the unsavory regimes of the Middle East and elsewhere with economic support.

But, my instinctive distrust of gigantic corporations like Time-Warner makes me suspicious. These organizations never do anything for the reasons they make public. I suspect that surveys and focus groups were used to determine which "Man of the Year" would sell more copies. Time surely doesn't care if readers purchase the magazine because they love the choice or are outraged by the choice. Journalists no longer manage our news organizations. They are led instead by the inhuman graduates of our business colleges who calculate, focus-group, and survey their way to every decision.

CNN, another Time-Warner child, changed its coverage of the Iraq War based on focus groups and surveys indicating that CNN was not seen as sufficiently patriotic. So, they got out the flags and started waving as advertising revenues poured in.

I think the American people should not purchase Time Magazine. Let's see how many are purchased in Russia.

Mitt Romney represents everything that is wrong with America–He is a surface dwelling fundamentalist Christian who will propogate fear in American culture and force the further merger of church & state to the point where the 'Will of God' will justify all his rule. I am so ashamed that America has allowed such a candidate to even set foot on the debating stage with Heroes like Ron Paul...Vote Paul 08' and learn about FREEDOM.

i wouldn't have a problem with Mitt and John wanting Patraeus as man of the year if they weren't so obviously looking for outside vindication of their iraq policy ideas. if they say that there is success in iraq, then it must be, because they said so. classic republican playbook.

So both Romney and McCain think Petraeus has "brought success in Iraq"? And just what is this success? Fewer deaths of American troops? Stability? Sucking another $70B out of America to throw down the Mideast toilet?

Uh...I can see how their republican-ness can cause their disappointment with Putin being selected when they feel someone like Petraeus should be man of the year. It's pure comedy. Man of the Year has always seemed to me to be a dubious honor anyways. I think it's a perfect selection. Just like if TIME had any backbone they would've made Osama Bin Laden MOTY in 2001, like they originally wanted to.

Romney is one of the most negative candidates for the presidency I have ever seen. Everything that comes out of his mouth is a negative comment about one of his opponents or issues. Romney will say or do anything to get elected. Definitely not someone I want leading our country.

See CNN, if you were still a responsible journalistic organization, you would have mentioned in this story a pertinent fact that several readers have already brought to light in the comments. Time's "Person of the Year" doesn't go to the best American who does really good things, it goes to the person who was the biggest newsmaker, either good or bad.

Putin definitely falls under this banner, as his recent political actions have brought Russia just that much closer to the Soviet Union we used to know and fear. So instead of playing their game and regurgitating this sense of indignation implying that Time is less American or whatever because Petraeus isn't the person of the year, this article would have been far more informative if it would have mentioned the truth of the matter; either these Republican candidates will do anything to score cheap political points, or they are genuinely ignorant of the purpose of Time's "person of the year" title. I highly doubt that the latter is the case, since we went through this same song and dance in 2001 when Time attempted to name bin Laden their "person of the year."

But either way, I don't want any such persons leading this country, and I would appreciate if CNN would do its part in at least trying to expose their misdirected attempts at patriotism so that the readers could decide for themselves.

If this guy gets elected we going to go to war with Russia. Stupid person like this wants to be the leader of our great country and talks trash about another country leader shows no respect. God help us all if he is elected.

Man o man! If this guy is Prez all bets are off! The only big difference between Putin and Bush is that Bush is bringing an empire to it's knees-ours

To repeat the chorus: Person of the Year goes to whoever, for better or for worse, has affected the world the most during the year. To CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney: for the sake of fair journalism, could you please at least revise the article to mention that the "Person of the Year" is not necessarily the "Best Person of the Year"?

Also, I agree that Bush is a terrible president, but this is not the forum nor the article to be Bush bashing. Save that for a ticker article with the title "George Bush eats Babies" or "George Bush does something unconstitutional, again..."

WHERE ARE THE MORAL VALUES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE???

WHAT A HORRIBLE CHOICE!!!

ARE AMERICAN LOSING THEIR MINDS???

Time bases it's selection on the person who had the most influence or signifies a turning point in world history. Hitler, for example, was selected as a Man of the Year, and not for all the good things he was doing. The fact that Rommney ignores that fact proves he is either ignorant or an idiot who expects us to forget 60+ years of Time's men (and women) of the year and the criteria for the designation just so he can score a few political points with what few remaining people in this country who think Bush's little war of opportunity deserves our support let alone General Petrayus' surge success, which will only be a minor footnote in the American wars of opportunity in the early 21st century.

Rommney is an idiot for making such an assertion.

Good grief, Romney sounds like Bush more and more everyday....I really don't want another 8 years of that. It is so obvious that this is a strategy by Republicans to make an issue from a non-issue. General Patreus?? It's like they are reading from a script. Not everything about Man of the Year has to be all touchy-feely good...when in the world will politicians come back down to Earth?

I also found it disgusting. Time may not intend Person of the Year as an honor, but many people will perceive it as such. Yes, he restored a sense of stability to Russia, but did so at the expense of personal freedoms.

By the way, the next President will not have to deal with Vladimir Putin as a head of state. His term expires May 2008 and he cannot run again.

Time Magazine is CORRECT! Its about time we give justice in our choice for this matter. In a time when there is so much immorality and corruption on the Iraq war, Romney fails to see this number one problem in America. The impact of selecting a Russian instead of an American should be felt in Congress, The White House and ALL the presidential candidates, some of which are openly hypocrites or are simply imbeciles. More power to you- Time magazine.

"TIME's Person of the Year is not and never has been an honor. It is not an endorsement. It is not a popularity contest. At its best, it is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world—for better or for worse. It is ultimately about leadership—bold, earth-changing leadership. " – this is a quote from Time Magazine. Mitt Romeney has thus proven to me how unreliable his character truely is. So goes for McCain. Both are incapable of reading between the lines.

Hmm I'll try again since the CNN censors have decided they will narrow the field of dissent. Putin has influenced world politics. Patreaus has moved in after the mass murders and apartheid of Sunnis and Shia has been accomplished. There is NO political progress in Iraq. It is the same old religous infighting it has always been.

I think TIME does not include the positive influence into the criteria is because it is a subjective one. I'm quite sure some of the Russians consider Putin the greatest leader of all and compared Bush as the worst ever. History will be determined by the winner.

This is a terrible choice for person of the Year, why not make Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or even George Bush the man of the year too while they are at it. What a Farce!

Every single thing Romney says to describe Putin can absolutely be attributed to his hero, George W. Bush.

This pandering is disgusting. Mitt Romney is a tool. He will never get elected with this thinly veiled demagogy. As for John McCain. Well, his Iraq stance is somewhat ridiculous. He refuses to acknowledge that any success in Iraq could be related to anything but the surge. Why can't politicians compromise and acknowledge that both sides have some merit?

With regard to Patrick's post above about the Bush administration's control of dissent and the media, I would point out that almost the entire White House press corps has been cowed into soft-balling questions to "our leader" for fear that, if they ask a real question, they will be blacklisted from access to any administration official. As for dissent, anywhere Bush goes protesters are relegated to so-called "free speech zones" where Bush (and the media) cannot see or hear them. LONG LIVE HELEN THOMAS!

Laura said: But why doesn't Time magazine just ignore a bad person? If we all agree they're a bad person, why put a bad person on the cover?

Because ignoring bad people doesn't make them go away, just like ignoring bad things doesn't make them not happen. Why put a bad person on the cover? Because that bad person had big effect on the world, and the results of what he did are news. News that's important for us to know about. Pretending he doesn't exist won't change that. Pretending there is no bad news won't make it stop. News is not all about cute fluffy kitties. Important news very rarely is.

The only reason violence in Iraq is down is that the ethnic cleansing has been for the most part accomplished and the aparthied of Sunnis and shia is completed. This is not the doing of Patraeus. It is the doing of assasinations and mass murders.
There has been absolutely NO political progress and the wound is just festuring.

Well, I'm not voting for Mitt, he is an idiot if he doesn't realize that Time magazine names a person of the year by how he/she has changed/affected the world around him and us good or bad. It is not like the Academy Awards or Nobel Peace Prize...thanks for eliminating yourself.

Why should General Betray-Us be person of the year?

Romney calls Putin, "...someone like that is the Man of the Year is really disgusting."
McCain says, "...Time Magazine made President Putin the Time Magazine 'Man of the Year'." in a tone suggesting he was rather "put off" by the choice.
Two more Regressives who run smack dab into the wall of Freudian Slip. I thought Time Magazine chose the "Person of the Year." But, I'm a Progressive so surely these two "leaders" must know which is right. Either that or they should run home to keep the wifey or the mistress (or both) barefoot and pregnant while she stays in the kitchen doing the cookin'. I hope their wives smacked each of them upside of the head.
That is the only way to communicate effectively with a Regressive – or hold out an envelope full of money.
For shame on both of them. This gets their Foreign Policy off to a fast start should either pull off a win.
I was pulling for Al Gore to win that award too but he only managed to be First Runner-up. Mixed with his Emmy Award, Grammy Award, Academy Award, and Nobel Peace Prize – Gore has had a pretty good year.

Bob

TIME clearly takes up Putin´s sordid side, and state equally clearly that person of the year isn´t an honor, necessarily. Romney either can´t read period, hopes voters can´t, or simply cannot be bothered with getting the facts when they might get in his way of making a political point. As for Gen. Petreaus, results first please.

Clearly Putin deserved this notation. If anyone disagrees as to his influence this year, they probably haven't accidently wandered into the world section of their newspaper. For better or for worse, he's the world's headline this year and that's not to be ignored.

For all of those people out there considering voting for this guy:

Mitt Romney has given you a very good example of why not vote for him because he shoots his mouth off without knowing the facts. Really, do we need another leader in our country like this?

Time Magazine even gave it's reason for the choice (Yes, Mr. Romney go 'READ' it or is your schedule to busy to do such things – LOL). We do not need leaders like this that just shoot their mouths off to look appealing to the public. A good leader is one that is informed and does his homework before conveying how he views something. We do not need people like this it is only hurting humanity and the USA. It is time we started strapping our brains on and voted with intelligence instead of following in the footsteps of leaders like Mitt Romney.

Lots of you, like Romney, are totally missing the point. Others on this board have pointed out that "Man of the Year" is not meant as a compliment, just as a statement of a person's influence. Romney surely realizes this- it is well-known that Hitler was Person of the Year- so that means that Romney is being a typically deceitful politician, just trying to score political points by manufacturing an issue where there really is none.

General Patraeus? Seriously? What in the heck is this world coming to?

Romney's "disgust" is an example of how most people confuse Time's MOTY choices. These are figures for GOOD OR BAD had the most affect on culture, world events and news. Hitler was MOTY as one point. It is not a referendum on the 'goodness' of a person.

Patrick in Denver - Here is an example. The press is forbidden to show the caskets of soldiers who died in Iraq arriving in the U.S.

"Person of the Year doesn't go to the person who does the most good, it goes to the person who has most affected the news. Hitler was Person of the Year.."

You're absolutely correct!

I doubt Mr. Romney is ignorant of this. He's pandering to the ignorance and emotions of those lead by their passions instead of their intelligence. Sadly, this seems to be more and more the case in our growing Theocratic Nation.

Jeff from NY is right.

We've done more damage to ourselves than Bin Laden ever could have. We've given away a piece of our freedom without a shot fired ( because apparently freedom isn't worth lives or risk ). Every man and woman that fought and died defending this country from the time of its founding would be ashamed of our generation for eroding the principles they died to preserve. RP'08.

This just goes to show what a misguided view the Republican candidates have of how the press should behave.

To them, the press is a propaganda tool whose sole purpose is to promote their ideology, rather than objectively report events as they happen.

Romney is such a clown, as is John McCain for their praise of Petraeus.

"great success in Iraq"?

The Republican denial machine never ends, and it is time this country votes them all out of power.

Romney – and all of the other `08 GOP candidates are SO clueless. Each of them is so busy trying to out-patriot, out-Christian and out-anti-Hillary the other that they continually expose themselves for the lightweights that they are. I'll take ANY of the Dem candidates over any of these clowns.

Fascinating. Iraq a success? wow. If this is not a disqualification to becoming the US President – I do not know what is.

This guy is 1/10th the man Putin is, despite Putin's coercive tactics.

As other observed, it is who had the most effect – good or bad (POV) – and not who is nicest; it's also not limited to the USA, so realize that the world is the audience here.

Want to have someone named Man of the Year? Do something to merit it! For example, show true leadership and work with and through others (a substantive definition of management), address a global issue (like climate change and environmental impact) since no one can stop these at their borders, truly "lift all boats" so that everyone in the world can reach a reasonable and sustainable lifestyle ... shall I go on, or would you prefer to demonize the rest of the world?

What the heck? Does Romney not even know what person of the year is about? It's for the most influential man. Considering Putin brought Russia back from collapse, I think he earns it. It doesn't matter what his morals are.. Jeez.

Mitt Rommey is right, General Petraeus, or even the American Soldier should be Person of the Year.

Mitt Romney is an idiot who obviously did not even read the article that he is referring to. If he had read the article he would have understood that the POY is not the person who has done the most good in the world, it is the person who has been the most newsworthy. We have already had enough stupidity with President Bush...do we need more with Romney?? NO!!

You can't call what we've done in Iraq a "success" when so many innocent and brave people have lost their lives, and there's no end in sight. This country has racked up a huge debt to China and other countries that will soon own us if the madness doesn't stop. We are ruining the economic future of generations to come if we don't stop the $9 billion a month war that is also depleting our troops that we might actually need.

I wouldn't call it a "success" at all Mr. McCain.

Adolf Hitler was named Time Man of the Year in 1938. Is Mitt Romney comparing Vladimir Putin to Hitler? Thats a thought I would prefer not to dwell on. Mitt doesn't get my vote for Diplomat of the Year.

"Shame on Putin for reducing poverty in his own country and not bowing to elite globalists and corporate interests!!!" -the CFR msm

Traditionally, the Time Man of the Year has been the year's biggest newsmaker, not some sort of acolade or tacit approval. Even Hitler was Man of the Year. Only since 2001, when Time wanted to choose Osama bin Laden as Man of the Year, and bowed to political pressure not to do so, has Man of the Year been about choosing someone laudable. I applaud Time for returning to the traditional application of the term.

Not very diplomatic coming from someone who wants the job of being the leader of the free world. Sounds a bit too Bush-quese for me.

Vladimir Putin joins a list that includes Rudy Giuliani, Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Laura,

Sometimes ignoring bad people wil make them go away. However, ignoring bad people who also happen to control a very large military, has a lot of influence in the world, and a host of nuclear weapons doesn't usually work out too well.

Mitt and McCain are making propaganda statements. Patreus brought peace? Our leaders just signed another 70 billion for the war!! Who are these two idiots kidding. At least Putin has a 70% approval rating unlike our president. I guess our next leader who pulls our country out of ruin will also get a 70% approval.

Why don't these two idiots start focusing on domestic issues instead. By the way, if Mitt by any miracle is elected president, our country will see many dark days ahead. Scary!!

romney is an idiot.
end of discussion.

Thank you Jake from NY. Mitt Romney is an idiot.

The Republicans are just showing how terrible of a president they would make. From the Time website, the award goes to: "for better or for worse, the person who has done the most to influence the events of the year." If good old Mitt had taken 30 seconds to look up what the award is actually for then he wouldn't look like such a moron right now. McCain thinks Petraeus has brought success is Iraq? Is he already senile? All Petraeus has done is encite a civil war in Iraq.

What insight into Romney's diplomacy skills! Thank God, he won't be president anytime soon. (Of course by the time the election rolls around, he'll probably change his mind on this too.)

Time's man of the year is not necessarily an honor for the selectee. The "man" of the year is the person or entity that most effected the world that year. (One year it was the computer, one year it was Adolf Hitler.) To call the choice of Putin disgusting only shows true ignorance of the purpose of Time's selection. Do you want to vote for such a person for President? Think carefully.

...and geez...McCAIN. What a pathetic little arf dog he's become.

wow lots of complaining in the comment section, who cares if hitler or stalin were once POY times change (which means Time Magazine should change too!!)
just because the US is no longer in cold war mode, doesnt mean we shouldnt be against communism, Putin has not made much world news. Everyone listens to namecalling so it should have been Chavez!! as for the General well just because the world knows about the war doesnt mean they care enough to know who is the petraeus is!! find someone humanitarian to be POY (no not Al Gore)
And for all you whining about how we mistreat Prisoners of War and eavesdrop on the country taking away liberties... we only listen for the Bad guys so stop crying over the thought the govermnet might steal your weed stash someday...we dont care about American's we dont eavesdrop on ourselves just actual forieg threats within the US. And these extremist we capture are anti western civ and anti capitalist (Russia altough Communist very much depends on Capitalist by the way!!) so anyways these extremeist shouldnt be treated the same way we would treat are own simply because they dont believe in our ways...(duh you think they not going to torture us if they had a chance?) very simple logic...stop worrying about your rights and Liberties cause the truth is whats going on with the war has not in anyway or ever will actually effect your liberties!!

Time's Man of the Year is not designated to be the best man of the year or the biggest role model, but the person whose actions have made and will make the deepest impact on world history. In 2007, Putin's actions transformed the world's largest nation into an international player once again while simultaneously creating a new political paradigm that will rule over hundreds of millions for years to come. No other person can lay claim to such lofty actions this year.

Tom ...in New Mexico....go live in Russia. You're obviously IGNORANT of Putin and what he has done. Educate yourself. How dare you mention George Bush in the same comment in such a derogatory manner? Putin is EVIL and that is WHY Time selected him, although the U.S. is appalled. Putin is just getting started and you will soon regret your comments.

To assume that Mitt Romney is somehow unaware of what the POY really is...I can't express how dumb that assumption is. Hate the man if it tickles your fancy, for whatever reason (perhaps most importantly because you support a different candidate), but don't be absurd. I really don't like Mike Huckabee or Rudy Guiliani, but neither is stupid.

AMEN! You can say that again, Mitt, Loud and Clear! We're ALL appalled and disgusted. That guy from TIME is plain NUTZ! Putin brought the KGB with him, Putin obviously agrees with the KGB methods of Control and Murder. Just What was the Message with this horrid choice? The world hasn't seen the WORST of Putin...just wait. Iran and China are Putin's friends...not the U.S.A.

It just goes to show how narrow minded many of our would-be (and current) leaders are. They criticize what they do not understand and celebrate an injustice that should never have happened in the first place. He just lost my vote (not that he ever had it to begin with).

Yes Dims, lets pile on a fellow American because a neo-dim is man of the year. Good idea; socialism for everyone! Celebrate Comrades!

Mitt Romney is rapidly becoming the king of phony outrage. First his angry demand that Mike Huckabee "apologize" for criticisms of George W. Bush, and now this. Mitt Romney is an intelligent, educated man, and as such knows fully well that the designation of "Person of the Year" goes to those individuals who have had the most effect on the course of history in a given year, for better OR for worse. This is a cynical attempt on his part to manipulate an electorate that he assumes is ignorant, plain and simple.

The only reason things are not worse in Iraq in the short term is the Sunnis are being paid in "CASH"= OUR CASH TO KEEP A LOW PROFILE.How long will that last? And how much more money will it cost us??? The tax payer!

Um, Hitler was Man of the Year back in the late '30s. Just because somebody is Person of the Year doesn't mean that they earned that by being the world's most upstanding citizen or something like that. TIME picks them based on impact...for better or for worse. It's not an endorsement, just a recognition of importance. And nobody can just laugh Putin and his Russia off anymore, unfortunately. The guy's bats, but he totally deserves to be Person of the Year for the press he's generated in 2007.

TIME's Person of the Year is not and never has been an honor. It is not an endorsement. It is not a popularity contest. At its best, it is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world—for better or for worse. It is ultimately about leadership—bold, earth-changing leadership. Putin is not a boy scout. He is not a democrat in any way that the West would define it. He is not a paragon of free speech. He stands, above all, for stability—stability before freedom, stability before choice, stability in a country that has hardly seen it for a hundred years. Whether he becomes more like the man for whom his grandfather prepared blinis—who himself was twice TIME's Person of the Year—or like Peter the Great, the historical figure he most admires; whether he proves to be a reformer or an autocrat who takes Russia back to an era of repression—this we will know only over the next decade. At significant cost to the principles and ideas that free nations prize, he has performed an extraordinary feat of leadership in imposing stability on a nation that has rarely known it and brought Russia back to the table of world power. For that reason, Vladimir Putin is TIME's 2007 Person of the Year.

Unreal. To all the people that agree with Romney and ask why Time can't ignore a 'bad person' regardless of influence, it's time to get your head out of your provincial little world where the sun don't shine.

You sound like the obvious type of obstructer that would only report the good news and not the bad. Yet you're not smart enough to realize your ideal world is Orwellian and not Utopia.

The latest Iowapoll has Romney trailing Huckabee by 8% - though Romney has now tied Giuliani in the latest national poll.

Time Magazine says that their objective, in naming the "Person of the Year," is to identify the most influential newsmaker- without regard to that individual's notoriety or acclaim. Personally, I don't endorse the notion of rewarding bad behavior in such a manner. Nevertheless, Putin was not, by any means, the most influential newsmaker of 2007- certainly not in American news outlets, in the very least. He is an agitator, but he lacks the influence or importance that the magazine imputes. What happened to the editorial board that made the "Person of the Year" decisions in years past (not including last year)? Have they all been fired?

Putin has over 70% approval in his country. The Russians are once again in control of their destiny. We on the other hand are declining in every respect. Good or bad, tha's their choice. Our General has hardly created success in Iraq. that is just a phase that will probably end once we reduce troop levels there.
Britney spears would have made a better choice for person of the year. We watch more tv about her that anything else in the US. God Bless America.

for someone who sounds a lot like he supports bush, i'm just not sure anything he says should be taken seriously; "squelched" public dissent ha? i'm pretty sure Bush just plain IGNORED public dissent.
his use of the term "disgusting" has better application with GOP politics here in america.

I am very saddened by the fact that some of you think Putin deserves the title because he is "a great leader of a country". This just shows your lack of love and respect for America. Being from that country myself, I can almost guarantee you if you made similar comments about Putin living in Russia, you would have been on the FBI watch list followed by an agent day and night. You are very lucky you live here, in America – a free country indeed with no strings attached.

The crateria for Man of the year is the person who was most newsworthy. Sometimes its an evil person ad sometimes its a good person.

Two of the canadates are just padering to the crowd. Putin would not have been my first choice, but I am not TIME magazine.

If only people knew how many generals they went through before they found one that critics could not attack without seeming unpatriotic and who would do the bidding of the White House.

We live in a Fascist state. It's disgusting.

Man, you guys are so naive. You see, Times is not doing so well in their circulation. This is one way to pump it up. Free publicity. And everyone of you is eating this up.

Have you ever heard of CNN doing such a stupid thing?

Yeah, they have to yap about Putin, because, gee, Ron Paul was one of the most important men of the year in that magazine, and they sure don't want to comment on that...

Mitt Romney deserves the award for Unnatural Smile Of The Year.

I dont know what sort of success they are talking about in Iraq. Also, Osama Bin Laden was the man of the year a few back, it doesn't mean they think he is great. Get a life, politicians, and start talking about things that matter.

abolish..computer..banking..systems..in..your..state..It..was..argued..before..a.judge..that.the..engineer..of..them..said..that.it..is..easily..possible..to..rig..elections..Only..possible..to..be..traced..by..source..codes..and..paper..trails..Currently..the..manufacturers..deny..the..right..to..give..out..their..source..codes..Hmmm..coincidence....As..well..there..are..no..paper..trails..unless...a..candidate..pays..the..800.000..to..pay..for..them..and..that..is..the..price..in..one..electoral...riding..Hmm......Go..to..You.tube..Search..America;Freedom..toFascism

Boy, another example of how these GOP candidates are a bunch of lightweights. Talk about being completely undiplomatic in one's dealings with another country. Putin may not be democratic, but he's no worse than many of the right-wing dictators this President has propped up in the name of the "war on terror." (And don't think Bush doesn't bear some of the blame for looking the other way on Russian human rights abuses in Chechnya and elsewhere.)

Does it even matter? Both of these clowns are (thankfully) well on the road to irrelevancy. They'd have something dumb to say even if the POY award went to, say, Mother Teresa.

Looks like Romney needs a history class. Time's Person of the Year isn't an "award", its who they think has had the biggest impact on the world, negative or positive. Stalin and Hitler have also won...

how about picking a man of the year that doesn't cause death? seems like a weird concept, but hey, why not?

romney + mccain

a couple of real diplomats those two. good god how do these people get to where they are? can we please make an i.q. test part of the presidential election process.

Are you all really comparing Bush and Putin saying they have "repressed free speech and their opposition equally"? The fact you can go ahead and say that on this blog shows otherwise. The fact there can be legal protests involving thousands of people in the USA demonstrates otherwise. I am not a huge fan of President Bush, but at the very least I ask all of you to make apt analogies.

Mr. Romney and Mr. McCain clearly do not understand the selection process for Time's Person of the Year. It is the person who, for better or for worse, has done the most to influence the events of the year.

They both say that Gen. Petraeus deserves that distinction. Iraq is much the same as it has been since 2006, progress is slow at best, and the surge has succeeded militarily but not politically. Gen. Patraeus has certainly influenced events, but not to the degree that Mr. Putin has.

The reemergence of Russia as a world power has occurred almost entirely in the last year. Much of Mr. Putin's influence in world events could certainly be characterized as "for worse", but he has certainly done more to impact our lives in the world than any of the other candidates. This is not necessarily an "honor"; it only is an indication of the impact one has had on society. Mr. McCain and Mr. Romney seem to believe that the "best person for American policy interests" should have been chosen by Time. When Time chose Gorbachev, Hitler, and Stalin, it was not implying that these three were the "best" men, only that they had a dramatic impact on the world as we know it. Certainly Mr. Putin can claim that distinction. I applaud Time for its choice and for not shying away from a controversial selection.

Sorry Gentlemen,

When the U.S. begins to believe in equality for all, then I'll agree with your assessment of Mr. Putin; till then, congrats to him.

His father laid ruin to the state of Michigan. We can not stand another one like Bush.

I don't know who I'm more ticked at Romney or Beck. Neither appear to know the basis used by Time Magazine. Both should know. Romney is running for President and Beck works for a Time Warner company!

why doesn't Time magazine just ignore a bad person? If we all agree they're a bad person, why put a bad person on the cover?
Posted By Laura Tulsa OK : December 19, 2007 8:52 pm

Because Time is a news magazine that covers world events, and is noting the person who most affects the news and the world in a given year. It's not a feel-good puff award. Time is not People magazine. Ignoring someone who's a bad person doesn't make them go away, and it sure doesn't reduce their influence on the world.

We Americans ignore far too much about what's going on outside our borders as it is.

I can't believe all the hippies commenting on this thing. Isn't Putin the freak that lifted up the little boy's shirt in the public square and KISSED HIS TUMMY?!!! What a pervert. ROMNEY IS RIGHT – and I'd bet a dollar Romney is the Man of the Year choice next year...after winning the presidency.

I read this article again and it just amazes me that Romney is so out of touch. When he first declared his candidacy, many writers commented how "presidential" Romney looked. Looked maybe, but he certainly doesn't sound presidential. Harvard must be ashamed to have an alum with such narrow minded ideas; possibly a course in international relations or peace and conflict resolution might be in order.

Finally a politician who speaks the truth and isn't worried about being politically correct. What a concept, tell the truth.

Mitt Romney is correct. The ignorance related to these posted comments scares me. Putin has placed almost all political opposition in jail. Most suspect that he was directly involved in the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, one of the few reporters in Russia who dared challenge him. The British government suspects Putin was directly involved in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko. Putin has manipulated the Russian elections to essentially make himself the perpetual leader of the country.

In 1 year, George Bush will be gone. A new president with new policies will take over and will take a different approach. That will happen because the USA has a system that allows it to happen. Our elections work. If you lose elections, don't cry about it, work to win the next one. In Russia, there are not valid elections because a dictator has changed a country to serve himself. There is no comparison to the USA.

I'm sure that Gov. Romney and Sen. McCain are aware that Time's Man (or Person) of the Year title is for the one who had the most impact on the world, for good or ill. Many people have criticized Time's choices over the years (Hitler and Stalin for example). The point that Romney and McCain make, as has been made before by others, is that Time shouldn't be giving an award for doing bad things. Having an award for someone who makes the most news or changes the world the most by doing bad things acts to condone or legitimize that sort of behavior. Time needs to change its criteria for selection of the Man of the Year title.

Attacking Time magazine for selecting Putin for most Americans is a given because they mindlessly believe only Americans should be selected and Republican Americans at that. For Romney to attack using the language he did only proves he is not ready to be a president that can deal with other countries. That makes him just a Bush imitator and we've had enough of the real McCoy. I'll bet every Time critic has yet to even glance at why they selected Putin. They're more interested in reading Sports Illustrated.

Why does the man of the year have to be a US Citizen? Heeelllloooo, the US is not the only game in town. No one said that we had to LIKE the individual that TIME names "Man of the Year".

Mitt Romney, you have just shown the world that you do not have any of the qualities that we need in a president. You openly insult someone that you would have to deal with as an equal and probably an ally.

You are cut from the same cloth as George Bush. You would most likely be the same kind of idiot we have now. We don't need or want you as president.

Romney and McCain are unhappy with Putin's choice. They think Gral. Petreaus should get it because he brought "success" in Iraq. And this guys want to be President??? God help us!!

There isn't any person in the federal government (i.e., General Petraeus) or the political world (i.e. Putin) who should be on the cover of Time Magazine. That's why it really is a joke. Get serious. Running a misleading war on Iraq qualifies for Man of the Year? Putin's follies qualify? Not only should we worry about them, we should worry about the mentality of those who put him the cover! God!

Wow, they're not the sharpest guys in the world, are they? Time's Person of the Year is someone they feel made the most impact on the world stage, it's not an award. Numerous people who are far worse than Putin have been named Man of the Year before, including war criminals such as Adolf Hitler in '38, Stalin in '39, and George W. Bush in '00 and '04. The stated criteria is for better or for worse, ...has done the most to influence the events of the year

It's fine to disagree with the choice, but to call it disgusting given that Hitler and other worse figures have been chosen in the past, in accordance with the magazines own criteria, is yet another example of Romney's disingenuous pandering, saying anything that he thinks the electorate wants to hear.

Why does the media continue to give slick Mitt a free pass? Mitt Romney currently has $1.5 million in investments in Russian states-controlled entities (i.e. Gazprom). Is he not aware of his own investments or is he simply so ignorant regarding Putin’s role in the companies in which he has invested that he can’t even recognize the irony of his own positions. Never mind the fact that Romney’s pandering has reached an all time low; how glib does a person have to be to not understand what Time’s person of the year is? I have such pity for those fools who worship Romney and grovel at his feet and he feeds them all the things they want to hear as they quiver with excitement clamoring to touch his robe. There are two types of Romney supporters: those who are a fool’s fools and those who are equally as depraved, opportunistic and unprincipled as Romney. He is a disgrace to the Mormon church and all its members, not to mention the human race. To those who support Romney, particularly LDS: may Esau’s legacy be your inheritance as you sell your birthright for a filthy pottage of lentils.

He needs to learn how Time selects people. It's not on popularity or goodness but on impact. Good morning, Mr. Romney.

Apparently Mitt and John don't understand why Time picked Putin.But then again they are running for the presidency so it's politically correct to believe the general should have been chosen..

I listened to "Allman in the Morning" on FM 97.1 in St Louis during my ride to work this morning on this very subject. He and his side kick ranted and raved about this. Now I see that yet another prominent political person fails to understand the nature of the Time statement, which has been consistent for some 60 to 70 years. And we depend upon such people to be our leaders ??? May God help us all!!

General David Petraeus was a good guy, but I think Vladimir Putin was probably a bigger newsmaker. (if it's any consolation prize to the General, he made it on the list as one of Time's "People who Mattered" in 2007. Kind of an honorable mention.)

Anyway, I totally called it on Vladimir Putin!! I called it like a month ago when I thought Time might actually consider picking someone evil. However, at the time, i thought they'd do a double-team of Vladimir and Pervez Musharraf. Officially American allies and officially fans of democracy, but really total wild cards.

How amazing that Americans think an American should be man of the year! USA number 1. What Rudy and Mitt should consider is the criteria for considering man of the year are. Not sure they should give it to Gen Patreus just because less Iraqis are dying this month than last month...that war is still a mess. Didn't Hitler win it once? Relax guys.

Fantastic analysis, Mitt. Get a job with Time magazine.

Congratulations TIME! Brilliant, when the media is being stifled in Russia TIME figures out a way to ensure their reporters get access in the coming year. Let’s hope future reporting is not so blind. History will record that General Petraeus was the real man of the year in 2007. TIME will be recognized for goofing this one up… as they’ve done on several occasions in the past. Rarely should TIME look much further than the ranks of our own military. My only regret is that it took me until 1983 before I got so irritated w/TIME that I cancelled my subscription. I feel bad for someone who's on the hook in 2008 for more of the same distorted journalism.

Well, Mr. Romney has finally proved himself definitevly as the man who can fill Bush's shoes. We're way overdue for another World War anyway. Besides, we haven't insulted enough white people lately (the French don't count).

Either Romney is trying to make cheap political points or he/his staff is completely ignorant. Time doesn't pick "Good Man of The Year". They pick "Man Of The Year", someone who has had a very lasting effect on the world that will continue for years to come – good or bad. Someone should read him the accompanying explanation to him.

Nice way to start being friendly to Russia Mitt.

Right on MITT!

The only person with the guts to say it.

Given Putin's lack of experience at the time he assumed the role of Prime Minister, and subsequently President,plus the disarray of the Russian Federation at that time, I would say that his accomplishments are outstanding. His new title as man of the year is far more deserving than any other leader in the world today. Sure Russia is by no means a democracy as defined by the western world;its history has been defined by despots,and serfdom. but in time things will change. Therefore,after all the turmoil it has gone through, Russia needs and deserves to find pride, and its place in the world. Perhaps this is just the beginning.
On the other hand, I shiver when I read that the father of our leader may go around the world with Bill Clinton after his presidency is over to"mend fences". I find that situation more disgusting.
By the way,I also like the second choice for person of the year.

I am not a supporter Mitt; however our dinner talk was right on the money with your comment.

Why bother with any comments, Romney and McCain once again show that they have no clue on whats going around them, the sad thing is that they command the respect of a percentage of american societ thats just as clueless, from a purely POY perspective, Time magazine made the absolute right choice, Putin is the man most affecting world events at this time.

"You know, he imprisoned his political opponents. There have been a number of highly suspicious murders. He has squelched public dissent and free press. And to suggest that someone like that is the Man of the Year is really disgusting. I'm just appalled."
Mitt Romney could have just as easily been talking about George Bush.
*********Ron Paul 2008************

Romney, Time magazine person of the year is not an award. Any person with half a brain knows that.

TIME magazine has officially become red. All of these years we just thought that was the color they liked for their covers. Well, actually it was their Communist/Socialist agenda coming out.

Owl Gore runner up? Please, all he does is run around the globe spewing capitalistic hate all while making millions a year in speaking fees. And have you seen him lately, his carbon footprint is fat, and very pasty.

Yak! Yak! All you people comparing Bush to Putin are sickening. They're not even on the same planet. And for those of you who keep defending Time's criterion for choosing Person of the Year, I'm sure Mitt is expressing his disgust with that criterion, and I agree with him. What's the point of giving free press to someone who is making a negative impact on the world and giving them a title that implies greatness. Time Magazine ought to change it's criterion, or, if it does want to give free press to jerks, it should call the honoree TURKEY OF THE YEAR. That's about right. Putin is TURKEY OF THE YEAR.

I guess Romney would have nominated Jesus and his brother, the Devil, for People of the Year. They make about as much sense as Petraeus. Spending $10 billion a month in Iraq – who wouldn't be a hero at that cost??

There should be a place on these comments where one must display their political ideology in terms of party or liberal/conservative/libertarian. If so, we could get a true measure on what the people who matter think of these events.

For example, if 65% of Republicans think the statement was correct but 99% of Democrats think McCain or Romney's statement was foolish, then in terms of the primary, it actually helps these men because the opinions of Democrats do not matter during a GOP primary (and visa-versa)

Oh, give me a break. The Time Person of the Year is not some rah-rah gold star given out to the most positive person on the planet. If Romney and McCain are truly that ignorant to the chilling significance of Vladimir Putin's power and the obviously huge impact he is having on the generation of Russians currently reaching adulthood, then neither of them should be running for President.

it goes to the person who has most affected the news.
I guess I've been living under a rock the past year; I wouldn't have said that he most affected the news.

From someone who actually heard the interview this morning (and nice job CNN not referring to all of the context): Romney said that he understands that Time doesn't necessarily pick the person based on positives but influence, and then Beck interrupted him and read a quote from Time that explained why Putin was chosen, and it was praising Putin for bringing stability to Russia, etc., NOT because he was simply influential.

Point: you can disagree with Romney's perspective but you are incorrect to say Mitt is clueless about the fact that Time has chosen dictators and the like before. Unfortunately if you just read this "story" then you didn't get all the context. I hope that isn't on purpose by CNN. Just one more reason why you can't just accept anything you read, especially on the internet.

The Man/Person of the Year is not necessarily an award for most popular person or most valuable player. In their past, Time magazine has named some of the world's most infamous figures as its Man/Person of the Year. In theory, the title is supposed to go to the year's major newsmaker. Romney needs to look up their past winners to see for himself.

Personally, I don't agree with the Putin pick. He made a lot of news, much of which was bad, but he wasn't in my opinion the top newsmaker. Time should have gone with either Al Gore, Gen. Petraeus, the entire field for the 2008 Presidential race as one whole unit or Steve Jobs. Time seemed like they wanted to stay away from politics or commerce and instead go with a fairly "safe pick." Frankly, they could have done better. I agree with Romney and McCain on that.

I agree Mitt. Putin has been called a control freak by many of his dissidents. Many have been either killed or maimed by him. And feared has now spread over Russia again. He is a continuation of the KGB. GOOD COMMENT MITT AND IGNORE ALL THESE IGNORAMOUSE'S COMMENTS!!!

Yep, Mitt's right again. Time Magazine is out of line honoring Putin, a dictator-in-embryo. The fact that he wins it over someone like Petraus truly is digusting. I'm impressed that Romney has stayed up to date on world affairs during a tumultuous campaign season. Of course this begs the question: does Huckabee even know who Putin is?

Putin is a poor choice IMO, but so is Petraeus, willing tool of the delusional neocons.

I'm trying to think of anyone who stood out, any person of true principle, and the only one who comes close is Al Gore. But maybe Time thought one accolade for him was enough.

To Patrick in Denver;
I dont know what country you have lived in for the past 4 years for you to say this administration has not limited free speech. I would give you an example; What do you call the act of labelling people that disagree with the war as "Unpatriotic"? It might not be blantant limitation of free speech but its a psychological way of accusing people of hating thier country just because they do not agree with the invasion and occupation of another country.

I don't like Mitt but he is right on here.

Vladimir Putin is like a rock star in Russia. His approval ratings are close to 70%. The Russian people love Putin because he fixed their country that was very badly damaged, almost destroyed, by his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin.

Now if only we Americans can get a successor to George W. Bush that will fix the bad mess that W is leaving.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

Romney has just removed all doubt...

Awww... is poor Romney *GASP* jealous because he wasn't someone's choice for person of the year? Cry yourself a river, and then go do something to earn the title yourself. *Maybe* you'll be chosen. Maybe you won't. But I guarantee you wouldn't be thrilled to be called disgusting should you earn that title you appear to covet and so desperately. Get over it and move on.

I am supporting Ron Paul for this election but I agree whole heartedly with Romney about this one.

Jealous Mitt???

I'll bet you wish you could grow the economy at 7% annually, huh? If only it were that easy. It takes a lot of smarts to do that.

To Laura from OK... It is just as important to acknowledge newsworthy bad people as it is for good people. As the quote goes, those who forget our history are doomed to repeat it, ignoring those who don't necessarily reflect what we consider good ethics is a good way to let our own leaders follow suit.

DEAR GOD, AFTER READING THE POSTED CRAP IN HERE!! WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY COUNTRY?? I'M 56 BUT HAVE SEEN ALOT. LOOKS LIKE ROME ALL OVER AGAIN IN AMERICA!

I understand fully that Time says it isn't about praising the individual but only to communicate the great world influence this person has. However, Time's actions don't follow its words.

For instance, how does one explain Al Gore coming in number 2? Apparently eating a lot of donuts, being able to read a movie script, and being a total eco-hypocrite is tantamount to being a real world changer and is Nobel worthy these days. Sad.

Is there nothing this bozo won't whine about??
All he does is attack and whine.
Sounds like he went to the "W" school of politics.

Didn't they name Hitler the same back in the '30s?

Time's Person of the Century was Albert Einstein.

I'm glad to see none of the towering pillars of intellectual prowess that have posted here already will never make it.

You people are silly.

TIME magazine has some sort of convulted explanation for how it arrives at its choice of PERSON OF THE YEAR. One year, it had Rudy Giuliani and Osama bin Laden as candidates, and the rationale was that candidates are those who made some unusual impact on a massive scale for the better or the worse! What sort of impact of a major nature has Putin made that makes him candidate? I think Newsweek needs to compete with TIME and start its own version of Person of the Year. Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, who turned the tide in Iraq after all the negative news the leftwing media churned out about suicide and IED bombings is more deserving of this recognition. Maybe TIME is looking for something from Putin.

Let me understand this, TIME selects the man of the year based on how he has re-established Russia as a world power. Through corruption and intimidation – as he was taught by the KGB. Actually, I admire Putin and what he has done in Russia. Just imagine what TIME would be spewing should a US leader act in this manner. Lousy Liberal Hypocrites!!

I stopped paying attention to Time's annual "Person of the Year" ritual years ago. I think it's nothing more than an exercise in self-importance by a bunch of media elites. This kind of instant historical analysis is shallow and meaningless.

Could Mitt really be such a pea brain that he doesn't realize that were he ever to be elected he would actually have to deal with Mr. Putin? God help us all (I put the God reference in because I know it would make Mitt happy).

I totally agree with Romney and McCain, they know what they're talking about, too. The haters on here who live each day to bash Bush & the Republicans as much as possible clearly have a narrow view of the 'big picture' of the world. What Putin has done recently is scary when looking at what can happen in Russia's future. I doubt most of these Bush hating bloggers have any idea what Putin's done in the last few months, they're too busy singing the old Bush-hate tune. It's an old old song, get a new one, or better yet, get a LIFE (or an education)!

Governor Romney should read what the Man of the Year honor is. It is not the best person for that year after all Time gave it to Hitler and Stalin. It is rather the person that most affected the world that year. Putin is very arguably that person, making Russia a global power again after the Yelsin years. Mitt might be referring to recent years, like in 2001 when the person that really affected the news was clearly Osama bin Laden. Terrible person, but the biggest news maker as well.

Denoucing Putin and suggesting general Petraeus suggests a very naive few of the world at large beyond America or countries America currently occupies. True Petraeus has a hard job, but only because the war was so badly bungled in the first place our similarly naive and heavy handed leaders.

TIME JUST DID IT FOR MONEY IN MAG SALES....THEY SIT AROUND IN THEIR BOARD MEETINGS TRYING TO FIGURE HOW TO BUILD MAGAZINE SALES SO THEY FIGURE LETS SET SOMEONE WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT AS MAN OF THE YEAR...SO THEY PICK A LEADER WHO WOULD BE A DICTATOR IF HIS WISH WAS FULFILLED... AND GUESS WHAT?? IT WORKS!!!! THE MEDIA IS ABUZZ ABOUT IT GIVING THEM ALL THAT FREE PUBLICITY SO PEOPLE WILL RUN OUT AND BUY THE MAG....ARE PEOPLE SHEEP OR WHAT..THEY ARE ABOUT THE MONEY......GET IT??

I wouldn't expect anyone different than that choice from Time. That type regime is what they hope for and look foreward to for this country.They are socialists leaning trash.

Mitt's pandering to ignorance is just getting plain hilarious.
If he wasn't running for prez and trying to impress some primitive yahoos. he wouldn't care and would know that the man of the year is not a popularity contest and has nothing to do with how positive the person is, but just has to be a person impacting the world.

Mitt is a disgusting and silly panderer and I suspect he knows it and doesn't care because the man has no shame.

"...but my man of the year is one Gen. David Petraeus, our general who has brought success in Iraq.”

THAT is why McBrainless won't win. He is as delusional (or purposely deceitful) as Bush.

A lot of commenters acknowledge Time magazine would put a bad person on the cover if that person is the most influential. But why doesn't Time magazine just ignore a bad person? If we all agree they're a bad person, why put a bad person on the cover?

How exactly has George W. Bush limited the press and people who disagree with him? You may not agree with him on some issues but to say he's limited free speech, the press etc...is just a lie. PLEASE tell me how he's done this with specific examples. I didn't even vote for Bush but the outrageous things people will say about someone b/c they disagree with them on their policies is amazing. Where would you rather live; Bush haters, Russia or the United States?

One thing, the Time's Man of the Year Choice is someone who has made the most change in the world; it is not always necessarily someone with good intentions. Putin is not necessarily a good man (there is a reason why he draws comparisons to tyrants like Stalin and such), but he is a smart man and is the reason behind Russia's return to power and stability.

Also, if Romney wants to be president, he might not to insult foreign leaders before he even becomes president. Although Putin won't be directly in charge of Russia this time next year (he's leaving his role of President to become the weaker Prime Minister), he'll more than likely still be pulling the strings of Russia, politically speaking.

Personally though, I believe that the award of Man of the Year would have been better suited for JK Rowling or Al Gore whom I believe were runners-up. However, Times Magazine names people Man of the Year for a reason.

This empty-suited buffoon forgets that if he is elected he will have to deal with Putin at some point. Nothing like burning bridges if front of yourself, eh Mitt?

Keep talkin', Mitt – you're sounding more and more like Bush every day.

wow... in midst of a presidential race this is the topic that is brought up!!! instead of worrying about iraq and those soldiers risking their lives everyday for a pointless matter,they are worrying about man of the year! sorry world it couldn't be george bush he took more then the required 5 mins to think and say something. our "supposed"leaders should be worried about giving americans,not the rest of the world!!, healthcare,free money for school ,so american children have something to look forward in life,bringing down inflated oil prices,job security, and most importantly our judicial system which is as bad as some 3rd world countries.. goverment spends more money incarcerating people then they give to someone who wants to go to school.. these should be topics for presidential races not, man of the year,not kosovo, its should be america and its people first and foremost then let our "so-called" goverment worry abt the rest of the world

Matt's point (above) is correct that there are people who garnered more attention and did some good things, just as Britney Spears set an example of American youth. I personally don't think Mr. Putin was the beset choice, but I also don't think that, because he's our general, that General Petraeus, who is oversaw less than overt success in his training mission and is now overseeing some military succes with increased troop strengh, as the best choice either; by Senator McCain's definition of success, I'd think he would propose the President for Man of the Year because the President authorized the additional troops – a significant amount of troops in opposition to many suggestions; that's a greater impact than General Petraeus. In any event, Time Magazine made it's selection based on it's criteria, not on the criteria of two politicians running for office, campaigning with soundbytes. Better the two politicians tell me what they'd do as president, if elected, than what Time Magazine's selection process SHOULD be.

I agree with Mr Romney. Why in the world would time magazine vote for President Putin to be man of the year. What were they thinking. With all the possible positive people they could have chosen they choose this crook who sold nucurlar fuel to Iran.. Duhhh...
BAD FORM..
Valoree Mills
Felton, CA

Wow, it is just Russia that murders people? And the US doesn't? Come on people, even a blind man can see that one!

Tom, you are the one who is ignorant. To compare Bush and Putin shows an extreme lack of understanding about the world around you. You liberals have been bashing Bush so long you have lost all prospective. You say Putin has the respect of his people yet all outside groups have branded this past election a farce. You say he has respect of leaders, I challenge that assumption, what leaders? Most in Europe decry his move towards the old Soviet state. Drag yourself away from the Bush bashing blogs and try picking up some intelligent perspective.

Hello. Doesn't anybody get the "person of the year" specs? It's not a Boy Scout award. It's about being a newsmaker.

I have to agree with Mitt. General Petraeus would have been the perfect choice.

I respect Mr. Romney for stating so boldly an opinion on principals. When such strong feelings about a subject not directed to his campaign are stated, it shows me the strength in his candor as well as his campaigning. I really thing Romney is the real deal through and through.

didn't George "Dub-Ya" Bush get nominated for man of the year a few years back (in 2004 and 2000). Tell me what did Bush do to deserve that nomination? He has done nothing besides start a ludicrous war that has only caused our country to be hated more and more by other nations around the world and has also caused our country to go further and further into debt.

Pardon me, TIME magazine cannot be faulted.

Correct me if I am wrong – Was Russia included in axis of evil?

Do we really want a president who calls the choice of Putin as Time Magazine's Person of the Year "disgusting"? Should Romney be elected, what will he say at his first meeting with Putin?

The Man of the Year award from Time Magazine has always gone to the person that most influenced the news that year. You don't think Time really thinks Adolph Hitler, a former Time Man of the Year, is a swell guy, do you?

Mitt Romney, I find you disgusting. You're a hypocrite. You make it seem like you're above the board, but you condemn gay marriage. How does that make you any different than what you accuse Putin of doing? Sure, it's a different level of suppression, but suppression just the same.

“I don't want civil unions or gay marriage.”
– Mitt Romney

While I agree with Mitt, the choice of Putin indicates his influence and is not related in any way to his "goodness". Unless, of course, Time Magazine has changed its criteria. If I'm not mistaken, Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin were also named Man of the Year. Putin is cut from the same cloth as any ordinary totalitarian dictator. The fact that he has returned totalitarianism to Russia without any cry from the west (liberal or conservative) is the travesty.

I agree- why Putin? Why not someone doing greater things than Putin? Heck Brad Pitts done more and I wouldn't choose him. Joe Namath is better. How about here's to the Troops everywhere. And there familes. Were they afraid the magazine wouldn't sell? I didn't buy Putiin. Some more media mishap. Where's all the helps the troops its the holidays and such?

Real good for foreign relations, you guys with all your great experience!!! Way to insult an ally.

Obama is smart enough not to insult our allies, I'll take his leadership/experience over these idiots anyday

OBAMA 08

Spin it however you want to, the fact the Putin was chosen directly correlates to the state of world. There are people who garnered more attention and did do some good things. I glad we have leaders like Mitt and John saying what needs to be said...at least we Americans can still do that!

Do these two guys know that, if elected to be the president, he may have to be on good terms with Putin?

This is an undiplomatic statement of a presidential candidate.

"success in Irag"??? are romney and mccain kidding? the audacity to call our attack and occupation a success is mind-numbing. just because we've been pulled out of the gutter by the competant Petraeus hardly means it's time to start calling Iraq a success.

Interesting. And what do you have in store for anyone that opposes the Christian, big-business, neo-con agenda?

Folks, please, please look around you. What we are becoming is not that different than the people we are calling enemies. Just change a few nouns. Scary, is it not? Some of you are just as set on shutting down anyone of free thought as Putin is inclined to do.

As much as the extreme left and right irritate me, I do now worry about anyone's future that beleives in human reason, human intelligence, and human creativity.

Have you finally managed to kill anything resmbling progress? Do the dark ages mean that much to you? Please help me understand.

Yes, I agree with the above comments...

Romney clearly doesn't understand the criteria for Time's award. It goes to the most influential, not beneficial person. If he read the article, he'd see that Putin is portrayed in a not-so-praiseworthy light.

At least Putin stood up to Chimpy McSmirkster . That's more than I can say for our Democratic leaders.

Hey Mitt, I would put General Petraeus in the top 10. Are you happy now?

If the choice of Putin is "disgusting," than he must look back at the history of his church with great pain as it is filled with unsavory characters such as Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. They were responsible for far more treachery, but he doesn't condemn them. Maybe he's just "politicking" again. Could you imagine if Romney was elected? I wonder how that first summit with Putin would go... "Hello President Romney. So you think I'm disgusting. Let's discuss."

So Mitt is mad Vlad got picked because he's a bully who squelches civil liberties, but he himself wants to double Guantanamo (whatever that means).

Hey Mitt, mind that glass house now.

Who reads Time magazine anyway? The only time I see it is when I visit my dentist. Another 20th century magazine that is well past its sell-by-date.

The difference between Putin's USSR and Bush's America? Different crime syndicates run the countries, that's all. For years we demonized them only to become just like them.

Romney doesn't seem to understand the whole point of POY. The fact that it took a big "feel good" approach in recent years hasn't helped. In all honesty the issue shouldn't be why it's Putin this year, it should be why it wasn't Osama Bin Laden in 2001.

Brother Romney was hoping that Time would pick President Hinckley.

Romney and McCain–yet again–prove themselves to be unworthy of being President. Time Magazine bases their selection, at least in part, on influence, whether it be good or bad. Obviously, the GOP doesn't understand world politics, or the need to ruffle feathers at every opportunity. Smells like desperation. Gen. Petraeus? He's been in charge of a small military operation for a few months, with limited success...and that success only came about because his boss, President Bush, destroyed the country in the first place.

Putin is something Romney will never be: the leader of a country.

This guy really doesn't understand that the Time Person of the Year is about the individual who had the most effect on the world, good or bad. Putin is changing the way an entire country is managed in a very authoritarian way and is leagues more important than a U.S. general who oversaw a military surge in war-ravaged Iraq. The Time Person of the Year is not a propoganda campaign, Mr. Romney.

Then again, considering his pandering on the issues (popularly known as flip-flopping) he probably doesn't believe a word that coming out of his own mouth.

Oh please. And an obvious choice that panders to neo-cons and militarism is better? Time mag sucks anyway.

They just dont get it, do they? Did they know that Adolf Hitler was the Time Man of the Year for 1938? The title does not necessarily carry a positive connonation. It's simply the guy who had the most impact on humankind that year, positive or negative.

Romney has just proven how much of an idiot/playing to the pundits he is. Time's Man of the Year is not an honor, necessarily. It is Time taking note of whom they deem the most newsworthy person, be it for good or bad. Let's consider this: Stalin, Hitler, etc. Time wasn't applauding them. They were newsmakers, as was Putin!

figures. a politician jumps on a relatively meaningless opportunity to curry favor with certain voters. who really cares who time names as the person of the year: it is a relatively meaningless distinction. besides the magazine has a history of naming less than positive figures as people of the year (hitler and stalin for example). hey romney, why don't you talk about something that matters: what will you do about our plummeting economy?

BTW, it is "Person of the Year"

"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy….I was able to get a sense of his soul." —George W. Bush, after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, June 16, 2001

OK Mitt....here's your quote:
"He has squelched public dissent and free press".
The exact same thing that the Bush regime has done to their oppontents. Isn't this the pot calling the kettle black?

Person of the Year doesn't go to the person who does the most good, it goes to the person who has most affected the news. Hitler was Person of the Year, that doesn't mean Time thinks he's a good person, but he certainly affected the news. The fact that Romney is complaining that Time picked a villain shows he's not paying attention to the truth of the selection and that he shouldn't make comments on something he is ignorant about.

Mitt Romney is ignorant in his opposition to Putin being Time's man of the year. Putin is a much better leader than our president and Putin has the respect of his nation and of other world leaders. Most of the faults Romney slams Putin for can also be attributed to George Bush. If Romney is appalled I am even more appalled that we haven't impeached Bush.