Comments on: Seijigiri #45: Could a Cabinet Reshuffle Help Fukuda’s Approval Ratings? Problems with the Cabinet, Road Taxes, 59ing in the Diet, and Koizumi is back on the scene http://www.transpacificradio.com/2008/05/19/seijigiri-45-could-a-cabinet-reshuffle-help-fukudas-approval-ratings-problems-with-the-cabinet-road-taxes-59ing-in-the-diet-and-koizumi-is-back-on-the-scene/ Independent Podcasting from Tokyo. Featuring Seijigiri, a discussion of Japanese news and politics, as well as TPR News, our twice a week look at Japan's top stories. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:35:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Garrett DeOrio http://www.transpacificradio.com/2008/05/19/seijigiri-45-could-a-cabinet-reshuffle-help-fukudas-approval-ratings-problems-with-the-cabinet-road-taxes-59ing-in-the-diet-and-koizumi-is-back-on-the-scene/#comment-924765 Wed, 21 May 2008 04:25:15 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2008/05/19/seijigiri-45-could-a-cabinet-reshuffle-help-fukudas-approval-ratings-problems-with-the-cabinet-road-taxes-59ing-in-the-diet-and-koizumi-is-back-on-the-scene/#comment-924765 There would be nothing illegal about it. There are no term limits per se under the law. What "pushed" Koizumi out before were term limits within the LDP, term limits that now limit party presidents to two three-year terms (the length was changed from two to three years while Koizumi was PM.) I'll have to check to say with certainty whether those terms are consecutive or not. Even if they were, the LDP could change its rules again if the party wanted Koizumi to be PM again. At this point, it's hard to say just how real the rumors and speculation are. There would be nothing illegal about it. There are no term limits per se under the law. What “pushed” Koizumi out before were term limits within the LDP, term limits that now limit party presidents to two three-year terms (the length was changed from two to three years while Koizumi was PM.) I’ll have to check to say with certainty whether those terms are consecutive or not. Even if they were, the LDP could change its rules again if the party wanted Koizumi to be PM again.

At this point, it’s hard to say just how real the rumors and speculation are.

]]> by: Glenn http://www.transpacificradio.com/2008/05/19/seijigiri-45-could-a-cabinet-reshuffle-help-fukudas-approval-ratings-problems-with-the-cabinet-road-taxes-59ing-in-the-diet-and-koizumi-is-back-on-the-scene/#comment-920649 Tue, 20 May 2008 08:59:33 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2008/05/19/seijigiri-45-could-a-cabinet-reshuffle-help-fukudas-approval-ratings-problems-with-the-cabinet-road-taxes-59ing-in-the-diet-and-koizumi-is-back-on-the-scene/#comment-920649 Loved the show! There's lots to think about behind the scenes in Japanese politics right now. I'm just wondering - is talk of Koizumi coming back to be Prime Minister for real? Would it even be legal for him to be Prime Minister again? Does he need to start a new party to be PM again, and is it even legal then? I don't know how these laws work. Loved the show! There’s lots to think about behind the scenes in Japanese politics right now.

I’m just wondering - is talk of Koizumi coming back to be Prime Minister for real? Would it even be legal for him to be Prime Minister again? Does he need to start a new party to be PM again, and is it even legal then? I don’t know how these laws work.

]]> by: theanphibian http://www.transpacificradio.com/2008/05/19/seijigiri-45-could-a-cabinet-reshuffle-help-fukudas-approval-ratings-problems-with-the-cabinet-road-taxes-59ing-in-the-diet-and-koizumi-is-back-on-the-scene/#comment-914604 Sun, 18 May 2008 23:52:02 +0000 http://www.transpacificradio.com/2008/05/19/seijigiri-45-could-a-cabinet-reshuffle-help-fukudas-approval-ratings-problems-with-the-cabinet-road-taxes-59ing-in-the-diet-and-koizumi-is-back-on-the-scene/#comment-914604 Your comments about the overall increase of people who don't support either party reminds me of the current situation in the US. Though they haven't been the opposition party forever, the dems did recently wrestle back the majority in the Senate. With a weak majority, they haven't been doing what they should be doing or what they said they would do. Right now, it seems most of the people who should be completely on board with the party (given the general circumstances and poor performance or the republicans) are taking a cautious stance of not supporting either. I was really wondering about what would happen with Fukuda when he was appointed. I thought (and still do) that he's a smart guy and wouldn't make giant blunders like what Abe did. But at the same time, there wasn't much room for the LDP to move forward. So it seems that they've mostly continued to decline in public opinion by more complicated issues, and Fukuda probably finds himself between a rock and a hard place on the tough issues. Tobias Harris was mentioning that when people of the LDP say they want a healthy 2-party system, what they really want is a 1.5-party system giving more credence to their legislation by having a rubber stamp opposition. I don't think we'll see that with the DPJ, but without unity in their own party perhaps they run a risk of becoming that .5 extra party? I think maybe falling voter approval rating of both is a message from the people that they don't want to just trade one bad choice for another. Hopefully we'll see democracy work itself out in the end. Natural selection, right? That majority of voters who support neither party certainly seems like a volatile void. Koizumi to the rescue? lol I appreciate the audio posts, as always! Your comments about the overall increase of people who don’t support either party reminds me of the current situation in the US. Though they haven’t been the opposition party forever, the dems did recently wrestle back the majority in the Senate.

With a weak majority, they haven’t been doing what they should be doing or what they said they would do. Right now, it seems most of the people who should be completely on board with the party (given the general circumstances and poor performance or the republicans) are taking a cautious stance of not supporting either.

I was really wondering about what would happen with Fukuda when he was appointed. I thought (and still do) that he’s a smart guy and wouldn’t make giant blunders like what Abe did. But at the same time, there wasn’t much room for the LDP to move forward. So it seems that they’ve mostly continued to decline in public opinion by more complicated issues, and Fukuda probably finds himself between a rock and a hard place on the tough issues.

Tobias Harris was mentioning that when people of the LDP say they want a healthy 2-party system, what they really want is a 1.5-party system giving more credence to their legislation by having a rubber stamp opposition. I don’t think we’ll see that with the DPJ, but without unity in their own party perhaps they run a risk of becoming that .5 extra party? I think maybe falling voter approval rating of both is a message from the people that they don’t want to just trade one bad choice for another. Hopefully we’ll see democracy work itself out in the end. Natural selection, right?

That majority of voters who support neither party certainly seems like a volatile void. Koizumi to the rescue? lol

I appreciate the audio posts, as always!

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