Looking ahead to July 11 - the weather

The long-range forecast for election Sunday is rain throughout almost the entire archipelago. Though the assertion sounds immensely stupid, water falling from the sky is probably a plus for the Democratic Party of Japan. Rain tends to discourage folks from taking advantage of a weekend day and leaving their home areas. This should support turnout, which is traditionally and logically crucial for the broadly centrist DPJ over all of its machine-based and association membership-based electoral rivals. Going out to vote may be for many the one outing of the day, combining a small bit of social responsibility with a few minutes of exercise outside the confines of the home. Rain will also probably increase television viewership and newspaper readership, which is again to the DPJ's advantage. Brevity and ignorances are the allies of the minor parties, if not their very lifeblood. Once the voter has the time to listen to their speeches or read about the policies at length, it becomes clear that they are all peddling what is at best inanity and at worst insanity.