Kasparov on Bill Maher : Kasparov did pretty well in the show although he wasn't part of the debating panel. Nobody challenged him. I mean, things could turn out differently if there was somebody there to take up the opposing view. Even Maher turned soft ala Larry King. I am not familiar with the format of Bill Maher's show ( I don't have cable TV or else I would watch it ), but it seems Kasparov was there as a guest speaker only, a plug for his book. Maher lined up all the fast balls for Kasparov to hit out of the park, and the audience was ready to applaud him. When Maher began to ask about Putin's popularity in Russia, Kasparov came out with his stock answer. That is, polls in a police state cannot be trusted and even Bush and Cheney would enjoy great approval rates if they could employ the same strong-arm tactics. See for yourself : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRvb9gO-XDA