A rigged vote secures a super-majority for the ruling United Russia party setting the stage for the next phase of the ongoing political drama in Moscow.

Last week's so-called election to the State Duma was a dress rehearsal for Vladimir Putin's next political project - securing his continued rule until 2036. And this project is unfolding amid the backdrop of mounting discontent with the status quo in society and an escalating crackdown on dissent from the Kremlin.

Putin has already ruled longer than any Russian or Soviet leader since Josef Stalin - and he doesn't appear to be going anywhere soon. But he's lost the youth, he's lost the cities, he's lost the urban professional class, and he's losing the working class.

So what happens now? On this week's Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with scholar, political analyst, and journalist Vasily Gatov, a visiting fellow, University of Southern California's Annenberg Center of Communication Leadership and Policy. Enjoy...