I really don't know. That's why I'm asking.
Before the invasion, I was quite aware of plenty of "Putin is a badass, he gets shit done, he's riding a bear" fawning over yet another substitute strongman while :trump-anguish: is (temporarily, perhaps) deflated in relevance to them. I am unfortunately genetically related to a number of people that have these exact sentiments, so it isn't just very online people being edgy to trigger the libs.
I know that the United States is full of very credulous and impressionable consumer herd animals by design. What I'm wondering about is whether this current invasion and the media-wide propaganda blitz will have lasting effect on the "Putin gets shit done" sort of Russia-admiring chuds, or whether they will wake up tomorrow and completely forget about that honeymoon period, like the ever-shifting perceived enemies within a certain novel that they cite but also grossly misunderstand. :1984:
The conflict will not really change, but reinforce, the ideological sentiments. What's happening in Ukraine and the western media narrative related to it gives them a major enemy, an evil empire, to focus on. It strips a good deal of what might be a margainal leftist sentiment from liberals, and helps bind the liberals to a united cause with the GOP, giving them an 'in' to draw them further towards rightward ideology. Liberals may come to want a strong man because only a strong man who 'gets things done' can counter the same. A fight fire with fire sort of attitude. In the upcoming midterm elections, should the conflict stretch on that long, I suspect the DNC will try to convince others they can handle the conflict 'smartly'. But the GOP will try to convince that they can win the conflict.