Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the raucous crowd at a rally at a stadium in downtown Moscow. Thousands of people gathered Wednesday to show their support for Putin ahead of parliamentary elections in December.

Moscow ? The scene was part U.S. political convention, part Soviet Communist Party Congress as thousands of supporters clamored for Vladimir Putin to stay on as Russia’s “national leader.”

The crowd – many toting white, blue and red flags proclaiming “I’m for Putin” – blew horns at the Luzhniki sports stadium as Putin thundered against “jackals,” political foes who he claimed would turn back the clock to the chaos and poverty of the 1990s.

Mikhail Kalashnikov, the 88-year-old rifle designer, and Olympic skating gold medalist Irina Rodnina were among the famous faces who joined the calls for Putin to remain in control after leaving the presidency next year.

Putin is leading the ticket of the main pro-Kremlin United Russia party in Dec. 2 parliamentary elections. His scathing speech Wednesday was meant to drum up support for the party at the polls – a big election victory will be taken as a mandate for him to hold onto power.

His message to the West on Wednesday was clear: Stay out of the election.

“Regrettably, there are those inside the country who feed off foreign embassies like jackals and count on support of foreign funds and governments, and not their own people,” Putin said.

“Now, they’re going to take to the streets. They have learned from Western experts and have received some training in neighboring (ex-Soviet) republics. And now they are going to stage provocations here,” he said, raising the specter of the upheavals that brought Western-oriented leaders to power in Georgia and Ukraine.

The thunderous attack came as Russia heads toward elections that have turned into a plebiscite on Putin and whether he should retain power after stepping down as president next year after two consecutive terms.

It isn’t clear what formal title he might hold, but he heads the ticket of the dominant United Russia party and has suggested he could become prime minister. Opinion surveys suggest the party will win two-thirds of the votes and a crushing 80 percent of the lower house of parliament’s 450 seats.

With approval ratings exceeding 70 percent, Putin cast the election as a black-and-white choice between the current economic boom and the poverty and political chaos of the 1990s – doomsday rhetoric clearly aimed at getting his supporters to the polls.

“Nothing is predetermined at all,” a grim-faced Putin told about 5,000 backers at the rally. “Stability and peace on our land have not fallen from the skies; they haven’t yet become absolutely, automatically secured.”

Putin, whose nearly eight years in power coincided with rising energy prices, has repeatedly charged that the West wants Russia weak and compliant.

“Those who confront us don’t want our plan to succeed,” he said. “They have different plans for Russia. They need a weak and ill state, they need a disoriented and divided society in order to do their deeds behind its back.”

After his speech, the normally reserved president plunged into the crowd, shaking hands and kissing a woman. The crowd, consisting mainly of young people, responded with chants of “Russia! Putin!” Some blew horns and jumped in excitement.