I started using the multi-quote function then realized I was multi-quoting iluvmybags because I agree so much!
I'm glad that Survivor is Survivor and not American Idol or Dancing with the Stars or any of those shows where America gets a say. It's what makes Survivor different. You can't only play to get to the end; you have to play to win. Russell, after two times at this, doesn't understand that part, and because he doesn't understand it, should he ever be asked back a third time, he will make it to the end--yet again--and lose--yet again. People like Russell want to discount the social part of the game because they suck at diplomacy.
When you're playing this game and you have to vote people out, your hands will be dirty. That's a fact, especially come jury time. However, you have to vote them out and still want them to respect you enough to say, "OK, you got me, but I'll give you my vote." Sandra voted out Rupert, and as she did so, she said, "I know you'll still vote for me." And guess what? He did.
After all, this is a game with real people, not some video game with non-feeling players. If I were on a Survivor jury, and I had a choice between someone who voted me out (for whatever reason), but was still pretty decent to me, and another person who voted me out (for whatever reason), but was a rude, misogynistic ass to me, guess who would get my vote?
What so many people have said about Russell is that he takes it too far. You can play the game hard, balls-to-the-wall, I'm making it to Final Three by hook or by crook. That's fine. You just have to understand you can't alienate the people you ultimately want to have vote for you to win $1M (and the title of Sole Survivor...which is why I liked that Sandra was all, "Russell is desperate for that title, and he's not going to get it." Hahaha!).