Manager, not a politician

After the surprise resignation of Japanese prime minister Fukuda last week many heavy hitters from the LDP have been considering taking the reigns. Aso Taro, last year’s runner up, is the favourite. However the field has been expanding.

This morning’s Asahi reported that Ishiba Shigeru is thinking about running. That would be a mistake. After being forced to step down from the post of minister of defense over the handling of an accident earlier this year, Ishiba should be keeping a low profile, which obviously excludes running for prime minister. Furthermore, he isn’t wired to be prime minister. Ishiba is a war nerd genetically modified to run the JMOD. Ishiba said, “Economic issues are not the only topics that need to be discussed.” True maybe, but economics and social security are the only issues currently in the minds of voters. If Ishiba keeps his head down, eventually he will be able to return to the JMOD.

Besides, why would you want to shift your political gears only to gain the leadership of a party in shambles? The other candidates have their own reasons for running. For example, Koike Yuriko (which Curzon covered in the first ever post for ComingAnarchy) is not running to win but to increase her profile on the national political level. She has to prime the public for their first female prime minister in the next few years. Let Aso take the heat for losing the government to the DPJ. He is 67 and will retire in a few years. While in opposition the LDP can clean up its act and then then the young ones like Koike can sweep in and take control.

Ishiba stay home. Paint some plastic models of tanks. Write a book or two. And just wait.

For the rest of you, if you want to know more about what is going on in Nagata-cho visit Ken and Garrett and Toby.