As someone who has actually lived in Russia, and still has family there, I will say this.
It is stupid, and incredibly annoying, to hear Westerners ***** about what's going on in Russia. Obviously, the way things are here are better in some ways (my family did chose to move to Canada, after all), but they are by no means the only way to live.
Russians have typically prefered a stronger government, and they don't mind government controlled media. Yes Putin is a bit authoritarian, but at this time Russia needs a very strong leader.
So ideally, could things be better in Russia? Perhaps. But it is the Russians country, not North American's or European's country. Therefore, if they want him as leader, which the majority certainly does, that's perfectly alright. And my impression is that the majority of Russians do want him in power-- it's sort of like President Bush. Sure there are plenty of outspoken critics, but obviously there are plenty of silent supporters, as these people are elected leaders, after all.