Prime Minister Abe GONE!

[FG Lurker]

Looks like Abe is going to resign. No stories up yet but it is starting to appear as "Breaking News."

It was only a matter of time really. I wonder who will replace him?

[Captain Japan]

Abe to resign
Mainichi

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose year-old government has suffered a string of damaging scandals and a humiliating electoral defeat, has told ruling party leaders he wants to resign, news reports said Wednesday.

National broadcaster NHK said Abe made the announcement in a morning meeting with ruling party leaders, citing unidentified top officials of the Liberal Democratic Party. Other TV networks carried similar reports.

Abe spokesman Hiroshi Suzuki, deputy Cabinet secretary, said he was aware of the reports but he could not immediately confirm them.

The reports come after Abe's scandal-scarred government lost control of the House of Councillors in July 29 elections.

Abe, whose support ratings have plunged since he took office a year ago, was facing a battle in the Diet over his efforts to extend the country's refueling mission in support of the U.S.-led operation in Afghanistan.

The plenary session of the lower house was to be delayed, media reports said, but an official of the lower house could not confirm the news, saying she had not heard of anything. (AP)

[FG Lurker]

What a difference a few minutes makes...



Before I posted this thread:







After I posted this thread:




He'll still be gone soon though. It is going to be very hard to find someone to fill Koizumi's boots in the eyes of the public.

[2triky]

It is going to be very hard to find someone to fill Koizumi's boots in the eyes of the public.

[dimwit]

Looks like Abe is going to resign. No stories up yet but it is starting to appear as "Breaking News."

It was only a matter of time really. I wonder who will replace him?

Aso.

The babas in our neighbourhood were quick, the big poster of Abe that stared out benignly over our garabe collection point disappeared somewhere between 8:00 when I went to work and 12:00 when I came home.

[FG Lurker]

Aso.

True.

I wonder how long he will last.... Back to the years of having a revolving door on the PM's office?

[halfnip]

Is it just me or does Aso look like a dirty, sleazy mofo. That could be just want this country needs now...

[dimwit]

True.

I wonder how long he will last.... Back to the years of having a revolving door on the PM's office?

I think it will depend on his relationship with the media. Abe had a thoroughtly poisoned relationship with the press and they responded by reporting every scandal they could find.

[FG Lurker]

[quote="halfnip"]Is it just me or does Aso look like a dirty, sleazy mofo. That could be just want this country needs now... ]
Looking back at the last 10 years or so though most Japanese PMs have looked that way. Koizumi was a big exception to that, but otherwise...

[2triky]

I think it will depend on his relationship with the media. Abe had a thoroughtly poisoned relationship with the press and they responded by reporting every scandal they could find.

Well one article reported that his attempt to overhaul the civil service system offended bureaucrats who were more than willing to provide info to the media to bring him down. He was a political liability for the LDP from the moment he took office.

[Captain Japan]

I think it will depend on his relationship with the media. Abe had a thoroughtly poisoned relationship with the press and they responded by reporting every scandal they could find.

Yes, but who was giving them that information? I doubt they were uncovering it themselves - or better, were given permission to report that information. From the pension situation to the improper utility bill reports, the reporting was systematic and relentless, which I would wager it could have been equally so under Koizumi's watch. As the LDP showed when they dragged down Muneo Suzuki for crossing Makiko Tanaka, they know what they are doing.

[Takechanpoo]

The answer is that King of Japan, Ikeda Daisaku abondoned Abe.
Even If bureaucrats leaked the scandal to major medias or DPJ politicians,
if Soka gakkai pressured them, they never had report the series of scandal.
Soka gakkai pins down LDP, DPJ, major medias, bureaucrats, police.
This is real figure of Japan.

[Big Booger]

Adios Abe.

[canman]

It will probably be the Yakuza wannabe Aso as the next Prime Minister, but I really hope they would give Fukuda a chance. I know he is a little older than the rest, but of all the current people able to replace Abe he seems to be the best candidate. Not like that has ever helped anyone, but I would like to see him take control.
The other issue, is that whoever becomes PM, they will be doing so without a mandate from the people. IF you remember the last general election was held as Koizumi as PM and that is who the people voted for. So whoever the LDP chooses as their next leader, I hope he calls a general election and let the people decide who they want running the country.

[halfnip]

The answer is that King of Japan, Ikeda Daisaku abondoned Abe.
Even If bureaucrats leaked the scandal to major medias or DPJ politicians,
if Soka gakkai pressured them, they never had report the series of scandal.
Soka gakkai pins down LDP, DPJ, major medias, bureaucrats, police.
This is real figure of Japan.

I cannot believe I am agreeing with Take, but I agree that the Soka Gakkai has a lot of push in this country...

[Catoneinutica]

[quote="halfnip"]Is it just me or does Aso look like a dirty, sleazy mofo. That could be just want this country needs now... ]

It's not just you. The greasy, jet-black Jiminto shoe-polish hair, smokers face, and strange suckhole-of-a-mouth-that-looks-like-it-belongs-to-a-creature-that -the-Japanese-would-serve-on-a-sushi-plate make him pretty much the ugliest of an ugly lot.

Ironically, he's described as a "political thoroughbred" because of family background, which includes generations of politicians - and mine owners. He's never apologized for, or even admitted, that hundreds of slave-labor POWs died at the Aso Coal Mine in Kyushu. To me, this makes him a non-starter as a potential PM - at least I hope Jiminto isn't that stupid, but you never know.

[amdg]

I get the feeling I'm going to be nostalgic for Abe (and his wife, the B-abe).

What does asshole's wife look like?

[Mike Oxlong]

I get the feeling I'm going to be nostalgic for Abe (and his wife, the B-abe).

What does asshole's wife look like?

Speaking of babes, why doesn't bijinto just put a looker (they have a few in the ranks - nicknames don't come from nowhere) out as their new PM? That'll keep everyone distracted over either her looks or the whole a woman-in-charge debate. Either way, the LDP can go back to doing what it does best in the ensuing media frenzy...bilking the public outta trillions of yen while the yokels are looking the other way.

[kusai Jijii]

I cannot believe I am agreeing with Take, but I agree that the Soka Gakkai has a lot of push in this country...

I'll second that. Nutters.

[Greji]

this makes him a non-starter as a potential PM - at least I hope Jiminto isn't that stupid, but you never know.

Aso desu ka?

Actually, they have been grooming Aso for sometime. As you say, besides being of politcal breeding, he has that clout from old family money as well as connections with the Yasuda family (again old money).

He is quite eloquent and probably the only front runner. The only reason that I could see them not going with him at this time, is that not having another suitable candidate, they might want to throw in some stop-gap slug and see how the water goes, keeping Aso in reserve. They could then come in with Aso after the slug goes dead in the water, or is sunk out right. They like to use this manuevering as a so-called sekinin move to erase responsibilities for current scandals (which doesn't cure a damn thing, but it sure makes everyone feel good).

I have had the chance to meet Aso at several functions and his English is quite sufficient although like most politicians, he doesn't like to use it in formal appearances. He is much better in person, than when viewed on TV or the press. He has the political aura that should go with the job if used right.

I think the major media shots which are going to be fired at Aso by the left, will simply be based on the success of Ozawa and friends in the previous election, more than any failings of Aso, himself. The media in Japan likes to hedge their bets on coverage for the future, but even if they turn out to be wrong, they can always come back and claim a great LDP come-back and this being Japan, no one will call them on their reporting.

Should be interesting!

[FG Lurker]

I cannot believe I am agreeing with Take, but I agree that the Soka Gakkai has a lot of push in this country...

I guess most countries haves a nutter religion or two with too much influence. In Italy it's the catholic xtians, in the US it's the protestant xtians, and here it's SG.

I suppose it could be worse... Scientology, anyone?

[Oradea]

I can see us going through 4 to 5 PMs in the next few years.....Japananese are a people never truly satisfied.

[GomiGirl]

I can see us going through 4 to 5 PMs in the next few years.....Japananese are a people never truly satisfied.

Huh - it is time for a leader and not just a fall guy for the old guard of the LDP.

[samuraiwig]

Huh - it is time for a leader and not just a fall guy for the old guard of the LDP.

Fat chance.

"One former Cabinet minister termed Abe's resignation as a reflection of "his immaturity because of his youth.""

[sublight]

The CNN news brief read "Abe... has told ruling party leaders he wants to resign"

Cripes, even in his final days he's just a limp dishrag.

[james]

I can see us going through 4 to 5 PMs in the next few years.....Japananese are a people never truly satisfied.

what they really need to do is dump the ldp, though i doubt the alternatives are really much different.

[Taro Toporific]

...He is much better in person, than when viewed on TV or the press...

Does the Aso manage to keep from drooling on himself?

My friend, a Japanese ex-academic, just emailed his refection on today's news:
[INDENT]After prime minister Abe expressed his resignation, ANIME/MANGA related company stock prices increased today.
This is because Mr. Aso, who is expected to become the next prime minister, is well known as a ANIME/MANGA fan
When an article was issued saying that he was reading "Rosen Maiden", he just laughed and said, "Hahaha, that could happen. That's a comic for girls, isn't it?"



[/INDENT]
Rosen Maiden


[color="RoyalBlue"]Losen Maiden[/color]

[Tsuru]

That was a bit of a surprise.... So now what? Taro Aso?

[dimwit]

Yes, but who was giving them that information? I doubt they were uncovering it themselves - or better, were given permission to report that information. From the pension situation to the improper utility bill reports, the reporting was systematic and relentless, which I would wager it could have been equally so under Koizumi's watch. As the LDP showed when they dragged down Muneo Suzuki for crossing Makiko Tanaka, they know what they are doing.

When I said the press, I meant the press barons and I seem to recall an article, perhaps in one of the weeklies talking about the antipathy the barons had towards Abe. As for the difficulty in uncovering scandals, from what I have seen finding dirt on most politicians is easy. Just hang around their constiuency offices or ask the locals. The factionalism within local chapters of the LDP insures that there are bound to be disenchanted local party members willing to bad mouth the local politican.

[Mulboyne]

The major disappointment here is that TV Tokyo decided to interrupt their usual programming in order to show Abe's resignation conference. Since they didn't even do that for the emperor's death, people had come to believe that only the end of the world would be significant enough for the channel. If they have changed their policy then we may never see this kind of match-up again: