If Koike Yuriko, Nakagawa Hidenao and Co. Want to Bail...

...on the Liberal Democratic Party and start a party of their own, now would be a good time to do it.

Here is how the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the nation's primary business daily, reported the thinking of those inside the circles closest to Prime Minister on whether or not he will dissolve the Diet and call for an election to be held on November 30:

首相の最大の懸案は解散までに、金融市場が安定するかどうか。市場の混乱が続くなかで選挙戦に突入しても、有権者の理解を得られない可能性が大きいためだ。

"The Prime Minister's greatest concern is whether or not the financial system will be stabilized by the time of the Diet dissolution. The reason for his worry: if the country is thrust into an electoral campaign in the middle of continuing market turmoil, there could be a significant possibility that the understanding of the voters would not be gained."

Gee, ya think so? The ruling coalition would not win the understanding of the voters for going out on the campaign trail in the middle of a crisis? You think that that is a distinct possibility? And that abandoning ship when the country needs leadership would look bad?

[I am holding out the hope that the Nikkei's dry reporting of this idiotic line of reasoning might reflect an ironic editorial stance. Amaterasu, I hope it does.]

Anyway, if there were ever a time to say:

"Japanese citizens deserve better leaders, ones whose actions are rooted in economic and strategic reality, not in trying to game the electoral system. We are in a crisis, with a need for commitment and sacrifice from our politicians, and all Prime Minister Asō Tarō and Democratic Party of Japan leader Ozawa Ichirō can think about is when they are going to hold 'their' election."

...it would be now.