tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714063.post8588652462275506339..comments2023-10-09T00:45:55.603+09:00Comments on Shisaku: The Vultures Surround Dove MountainMTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04626942240117432624noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714063.post-87655958572803116222010-04-22T09:28:42.976+09:002010-04-22T09:28:42.976+09:00The polls leave me very confused as to what will h...The polls leave me very confused as to what will happen in the upper house election. Despite the weekly accounts of falling support for the DPJ, they still maintain a plurality an a clear-enough lead over any other party, when Japanese are asked either "which party do you support?" or "who will you vote for?". Where much of the DPJ support has gone is to "none of the above" (now over 50%!) but that can't be reflected in post-election seats per se. So does that mean the DPJ gets on fine in anyway, as the least unpopular option? "Minna no To" is doing well in the polls, but can't win more seats than they have candidates, so their 7% support doesn't translate into seats either.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714063.post-30048057288754142732010-04-17T12:15:38.741+09:002010-04-17T12:15:38.741+09:00Certain influential DPJ politicians confided in me...Certain influential DPJ politicians confided in me during the election that the biggest challenge wasn't winning the election, but maintaining public support for the Party. They said the winds were going with them then, but it wouldn't be the same in six months. You could argue that it was faster than six months, but regardless, this is expected. That's why I believe you hear some influential DPJ Members saying they aren't fazed by low poll numbers. <br /><br />Of course, the Hatoyama Administration wasn't given a good situation to start with, and as you rightly point out, nobody expected them to accomplish anything in the manifesto (something like 80% polled before the election), but when your situation has gone from bad to somewhere still around bad, every little thing will be scrutinized. Most people outside of Futenma don't care too much about the situation, but along with the the nationalists use it symbolically as a crucifix for the Hatoyama administration and their frustration with business (i.e. corruption) as usual (see Ozawa).<br /><br />The ship is not lost, so don't burn your pyre before the body is laid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com