Either one probably leads to a coup. Boris Yeltsin, Anatoly Chubais, Viktor Chernomyrdin, Alexander Lebed, and Alexander Podrabinek would not let Zyuganov or Zhirinovsky rule for long.
Podrabinek never was a powerful person, not even remotely. He isn't politician at all, just journalist and activist. Maybe you confused him with someone else.
Journalists have a potential for power that is often underestimated. It is fortunate for Putin that he has the more powerful Romanovs semi-allied with him, because otherwise the Romanovs very well might be willing to work with Yeltsin's gang.
Podrabinek has the potential to become dangerous. In a case like this, I imagine he would begin trying to lead up a Russian democratic news source.
