How do you think Taro Aso will do as prime minister?

I think he'll be strong just as Koizumi was.

This morning he looked like a right bum in his casuals and cap on crooked. Sure he didn't want to get noticed on his morning walk and he might not have, he looked quite the part and you could see him in that position had he not been born with 10,000 yen bills coming out at the same time.

As gogogo quoted above, its a pity/reality that such a man can become PM. But with "the one race" of Yamato, like my "Japanese friend" makes it a point to say over and over again even in 2008, its inevitable. Pass the turkey please.

Aso is to the LDP as Gorbachev was to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He'll be the last LDP Prime Minister.

at least he doesn't say "I'm not you!"

If he wants that crappy thankless job more power to him.

I enjoy saying Prime Minister Aso.

I also enjoy Prime Minister Aso's lively quotes.

The guy has a poor record. He is only in his position because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

The guy is a liability, i predict that he will not last long.

Aso is another LDP vanguard. More of the same incompetent leadership for as long as he manages to stay in office.

He's obviously a racist, take a read:

(2007 regarding the middle east) "Japanese are trusted. If [you have] blue eyes and blond hair, it's probably no good. Luckily, we Japanese have yellow faces."

"He offended South Korea with remarks in 2003 that were interpreted in Seoul as trying to justify some of Japan's actions during its 1910-45 colonisation of the Korean peninsula."

"He also drew criticism in 2001 when, as economics minister, he said he hoped to make Japan the kind of country where "rich Jews" would want to live. Mr Aso denied he meant to be discriminatory."

"Mr Aso ran into trouble last month over his criticism of Washington's occupation strategy in Iraq as "immature". "After the US attack and occupation, they launched a very immature operation that did not work so well, and that is why there is trouble now," the Kyodo news agency quoted Mr Aso as saying during a speech."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/japan-has-middle-east-answer-on-the-face-of-it/2007/03/22/1174153253305.html

All the other posters above have said what I would mostly say. Aso is a disaster for Japan and Asia. Since Japan doesnt really count for much on the world stage any more (thanks to 60 years of LDP misrule) I cant say he will be a disadster for the world as well. He wont last long, despite the NHK being so deliberately biased in his favour. The coverage of him and his cabinet of twerps today was sickening, to say the least. Talk about a free election spin CM - NHK`s coverage too the biscuit. Yet another reason why I dont give NHK a yen - and never will. They are nothing but the mouthpiece of LDP/Aso. I long for the day when the Japanese people will wake up from their comatosed state and vote these LDP/Soka Gakkai imbeciles out of office.

Aso will change very little and continue to tow the party line. The one thing I will say is that Aso will have more cahones and charisma in dealing with world leaders.

He will visit the shrine at some point and promote nationalism.

He will take a few trips around the world that tax payers will flip...then when the going gets tough.....ahhhhh new prime minester....hmmm so about 1 yr...

He won't resign that is for sure but he will upset a lot of voters and get kicked out at the next election, so it is a good thing for Japan

Japan deserves better an one day very soon will get it.

How did Aso get the job? Rotation. It's his turn at bat. A few years down the line when he is a lot grayer, Ishihara the Younger will get it for sure. At least life in Japan will be more interesting with all the faux pas that'll be coming from him in the months ahead. Yeah, he's a pork barreler all right. Looks like I picked the wrong year to give up tonkatsu.

Ah, so! I think he will do just as well as the other 433 prime ministers that have led Japan since the war.

Aso only got where he is courtesy of his grandfather (and he is known for flaunting his grandfather's legacy ad nauseum). Taro is a pipe-smoking, upper class git who has the intellect of a mentally-challenged one-cell organism. Let's remember that this is not the first time he has run for leadership of the LDP (and the resulting position of Prime Minister). Who can forget the fact that when Koizumi got the top job, Aso was one of the other candidates (at least on paper)- who polled 0 votes among LDP parliamentarians and LDP Prefectural associations throughout Japan. What happened in the intervening years to make Mr Zero (charisma) rise to the top of the dung heap that is the LDP. Admittedly, some of the other candidates in the leadership election were even dumber than Aso (you know who) and others were even greater non-entities. However, how did Aso end up with the job?

Turning to Aso's future, Japan is faced with having the dumbest PM since the late Zenko Suzuki (I assume Zenko's body has followed his brain into a state of death). This is saying something. The mandarins down in Kasumigaseki must be peeing themselves at the thought of "the mouth from the south" shooting from the hip and setting back Japan's foreign policy. On the other hand, Aso's perchant for off-the-cuff remarks (without engaging his brain) could send Japan's financial markets into a tail spin. The guy is seriously that stupid and also a Grade A pork barreler. Considering this, I would put his use-by date as 6 months or so (until the next election). However, before he goes, look out for pork barreling to interest groups on a massive scale.

One more OJISAN makes any difference?....

Party is allowing all memebers to enjoy premiership one by one for few months each.

It doesn't matter who takes the office because their just going to fire a couple corrupt politicians, and then with in a few months realize they are too weak to fix the previous pm's mistakes, and resign. This seems to be the trend in this society, if you can't hack it just give up. Even the Yokozuna is following along with this trend. He loses a few and then cops out with some poor excuse. I think that Aso will do a great job of resigning after a few months.

He'll be out at the general election that will be held before the year's out. Pensions, health care, taxes, the economy, free fuel for the US military, overseas deployment of the SDF, education - the LDP has not a single policy they can sell.

Get 'em out.

ALL HAIL!! MOMO TARO!! MOMO TARO!! MOMO TAROOOOO...

S

He has no idea and just chases around what the media put into front of him. No direction and no overall picture of anything. Will be heavy handed on everything and stubborn and inflexible.

TokyoXtreme,

Oooh, very extreme! Love it. And I'm holding my breath for it to happen.

On topic: I believe the Who said it best - Meet the New Boss. Same as the Old Boss (Won't get fooled again?) Hardly likely.

I predict massive changes in public policy and the day-to-day life of the common man. The Japanese will look upon their global brothers and sisters of differing nationalities and accept them as equal children of the stars.

resign within 10 months

Who needs Toshiki Kaifu?

where is Toshiki Kaifu when you need him!

There was no need to have any basic political knowledges or skilld to become PM of Japan! You just need to born in a veteran politician or statesman's family, growup to 60 years old and here will be your turn to seat in! Japan was a very stable country that their leaders were all retards and unmature talking fantacies or doing something useless to the country! Actually the PM of japan wasnt a govoner of the country instead he just need to listen the orders given from washington and thats nothing more need to do! They are selling an imgaes that japan to leader asia..this is what japanese people still having unrealistic dreams...in fact Japan was under US strict leaderships she has nothing to lead including her own! yes it's time for Aso san to run his turn....he has a aggreement with Mr Fukuda that he was a senior he goes first and than him! Lovely politics!

he wont last and will be remembered as pretty useless

Koizumi and Hosokawa are the only recent Japanese prime ministers that I have had any time for.

Play the clown in the media.

Not worth thinking about PM who will be in the office for 3 weeks or so.

don't think it matters which of these geezers holds the post

Not much. I can already guess, since he is so 'hawkish,' that he will as per the routine alienate his asian neighbors with annual visits to Yasukuni, insensitive statements, etc.