Kremlin's four-hour presser leaves key question unanswered: after Putin, what next?

Vladimir Putin, a politician at the height of his powers and now launching his bid for an unprecedented fourth presidential term, met the world media in the Kremlin today. As usual, he came off as poised, magisterial, and even a bit jovial. 

In just under four hours Mr. Putin answered scores of questions, some of them quite minute and detailed, about domestic and foreign policy. It’s a familiar format for Russians, who see Putin onstage taking questions twice a year: once in a meet-the-media presser like today, and once in a marathon electronic town hall spectacle in which he interfaces with people around the country.