Asō Tarō, Very Briefly

Following the selection of the more than mildly embarrassing "Thank You For Your Support" Cabinet

[Nakagawa Shōichi on the phone to Henry Paulson and Christopher Cox AT THE SAME TIME. He's that wonderful. Honestly.]

former Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichirō's successful kneecapping of the news cycle during the first full day of the Asō Cabinet and the fairly high support ratings for the Cabinet in the overnight opinion polls:

Nihon Keizai Shimbun 53%
Yomiuri Shimbun 49.5%
The Asahi Shimbun 48%
Mainichi Shimbun 45%

means the race is on...not to see if Asō Tarō will set a new postwar record for the fewest days in office before calling an election

1) Hatoyama Ichirō 46 days
2) Mori Yoshirō 58 days
3) Yoshida Shigeru 70 days
49 Ikeda Hayato 98 days.

but by how much he will beat the record.

The real contest, of course, is to see if he can both cram in an election and still beat out Ishibashi Tanzan's postwar record for the fewest days in office.