Comments on: Japan: Party A vs. Party B http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/05/31/japan-party-a-vs-party-b/ Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the Pacific Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:50:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Aurelia George Mulganhttp://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/05/31/japan-party-a-vs-party-b/comment-page-1/#comment-32504 Aurelia George Mulgan Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:59:19 +0000 http://www.eastasiaforum.org/?p=4632#comment-32504 The $64,000 question for Japanese politics is whether the DPJ is the vehicle to bring about real regime change (which I think the Japanese people are really ready for and which so many commentators seem to think is in the offing). When I look at the DPJ crew and its leader, however, I have my doubts. If I were a Japanese, I'd also have my doubts. Hatoyama is no Koizumi in terms of his pulling power. In fact, the DPJ is led by a team, which is pulling in a number of different directions, and which, as a collective, is endeavouring to make up for Hatoyama's deficiencies. Party A and Party B (a novel concept that Tobias injects into this discourse) is another way of saying: 'what's the difference between the two parties'? Good Question!! They're covering each other's policies in key areas, but Tobias is also right in pointing to the way in which the LDP has gone into overdrive with its scare-mongering campaign against the DPJ. I think they've got a hot line to Pyongyang, the last request being: 'how about a few nuclear/ballistic missile tests to do us a big favour over here'. And of course, with exquisite timing, Kim Jong Il obliged. The $64,000 question for Japanese politics is whether the DPJ is the vehicle to bring about real regime change (which I think the Japanese people are really ready for and which so many commentators seem to think is in the offing). When I look at the DPJ crew and its leader, however, I have my doubts. If I were a Japanese, I’d also have my doubts. Hatoyama is no Koizumi in terms of his pulling power. In fact, the DPJ is led by a team, which is pulling in a number of different directions, and which, as a collective, is endeavouring to make up for Hatoyama’s deficiencies.

Party A and Party B (a novel concept that Tobias injects into this discourse) is another way of saying: ‘what’s the difference between the two parties’? Good Question!! They’re covering each other’s policies in key areas, but Tobias is also right in pointing to the way in which the LDP has gone into overdrive with its scare-mongering campaign against the DPJ. I think they’ve got a hot line to Pyongyang, the last request being: ‘how about a few nuclear/ballistic missile tests to do us a big favour over here’. And of course, with exquisite timing, Kim Jong Il obliged.

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