Kono announces bid to become next prime minister

a twitter boy who was educated in the US.... definitely sounds better than the fascist heavy metal fan...

That’s interesting *@RAWNippon 8:38pm: **“*Please support Mr. Kono if you want a better Japan.” -

Was just discussing some Japanese citizen’s mercurial political opinions on another thread:

*- @englisc aspyrgend 7:46pm: “Foreigners from cultures with a different viewpoint will simply be seen as, well, foreigners!” - … nothing will change.”*

*- @snowymountainhell 8:13pm: “Yet @englisc aspyrgend 7:46pm, “some” of those here that have identified themselves as “Japanese” citizens, with a right to vote in most elections, seem as up & down with their support or condemnation as infected numbers before and after a BIG event or holiday or, as mercurial as the Japanese weather during a change of seasons. *

Seems those same posters, like @6:48pm above, routinely love to use “ALL CAPS” to praise the “GOOD” or, to condemn the “BAD” but never seem to take a solid, unwavering stand on one candidate or an issue. Most comments are just “Hit & Run”. So, …

*-@englisc aspyrgend 7:46pm: “Until the Japanese voter changes their attitude towards politicians and starts to hold them to account, *nothing will change.*

Mr. Kono is the most qualified candidate. Why?

Good relations with foreign leaders.

Educated overseas George Town University in USA.

His work schedule is insane, always busy, always trying to do more.

Can handle the pressure, the heat, won't be another revolving door PM.

Speaks multiple languages well. Can talk to leaders directly.

He lived overseas for a while, has experience in dealing with foreigners, people of different skin color, different ethnicities,religions.

Supports more women in the workforce.

Supports foreign workers and students.

Please support Mr. Kono if you want a better Japan.

Pukey2Today  01:25 pm JST

At least he speaks fluent English. I think that's a pretty good start for the 3rd largest economy in the world.

Slow down for a minute. Let's take it one step at a time. Does he pronounce I.T. correctly or does he say itto? Can he tell the difference between 'How are you?' and 'Who are you?' ?

He graduated from a US University that you couldn't get into.

Not answering questions and using excuses is not a sign for a good candidate for new Prime-minister. A new politician is needed.

I've heard of the saying 'jumping from the frying pan into the fire' but what comes after that? Because this person is exactly that.

Mr. Hustler- I wouldn't be shocked if he tried for lockdowns. He could be on a power trip after being Vaccine King for the past year.

How many times does he have to announce it ?

We heard ya the first time .

I hope this won't happen but you never know what are politicians capable to do until they get ruling power.

But, you keep saying exactly what he will do and what will happen. Which is it?

I don't know why it is something to comment when it's already know he will be elected? His party members is electing, not us citizens.

Kishida is a nothing burger. Wants to have a new kind of capitalism. Doesn’t seem to understand free market capitalism.

Takaichi is going to be hard right conservative.

Kono looks the “best” of the bunch, but as Gooch says this idea of gaining new central government powers to shutdown people’s lives is no good.

Together with the opposition, they all seem eager to spend more money that Japan never has, although Kono hasn’t said much on that?

it never was a supply issue after May, but a internal logistics problem

It’s crazy for central government to be in charge of internal logistics in the first place. The government doesn’t need to do such things, the free market can distribute far more efficiently.

"Taro Kono he's our man if can't do it no one can". Should have been PM in the 1st place. As I mentioned in a previous post he has the look of a street fighter. Watch him get into his Joe Palloka suit and lay down the law . Speaking good English is a plus for his international politics . However he will need to use stern Japanese language to get it all under control in Nihon after "Sugar Suga" leaves office ! "Kono for King" "Terrific Taro" !

Not Nippon Kaigi is good. Younger is good. Would be nice to have the more liberal DPJ lead again for a change, but Kono is not bad. Not bad at all.

At least he speaks fluent English. I think that's a pretty good start for the 3rd largest economy in the world.

Slow down for a minute. Let's take it one step at a time. Does he pronounce I.T. correctly or does he say itto? Can he tell the difference between 'How are you?' and 'Who are you?' ?

Out of all the contenders, he's probably the least toxic.

Kono oh no!!!

So I guess the number of followers on Twitter is the new criteria to become the Prime Minister.

At least he speaks fluent English. I think that's a pretty good start for the 3rd largest economy in the world.

Can anyone be as bad as Abe or Suga , yes this guy , I'm leaving Japan

I hope he won't get elected otherwise we will get locked forever.

Fear driven fantasy. There can’t be a lockdown in Japan, will never happen.

Kono emphasized his achievements as vaccine minister, 

What achievements? A delayed vaccine rollout and initial sluggish pace with unnecessarily complicated reservation systems that crashed repeatedly because it couldn't handle the number of calls and online reservations? Even now there are people who are struggling to get a reservation for their shots. This guy's living in Dreamland.

Oof.

Kono's struggled hard dealing with the CV19, why are we expected to suddenly believe he's the choice for PM?

Worst vaccine rollout ever...can I now have the top job please? No mate.

All the comments are correct the new PM is locked in

Watched him leave a meeting with his boss, Aso, and he looked absolutely miserable. It’s obvious that he doesn’t need to have any policy stances, they’ll be provided to him — much as we’ve seen with his sudden acceptance of nuclear power. As long as Aso Taro pulls his strings, I doubt he’ll be a great PM or a bad one, he’ll just be a PM.

I must admit this, he has much better communication skills than many and probably a good idea or three; it’s a shame they’ll be wasted.

Say “hello” to the 100th PM of Japan.

Do we really need multiple pictures and angles of him spouting nonsense?

It seems obvious that Kono doesn’t have what it takes to become next PM. Unlike the other two candidates, he lacks clear vision or firm resolution to lead the country. It’s a good thing for Japan that, through SNS and the Internet, people are beginning to see his true self.

I'm betting on Kishida

Me too

I was watching him last night on World Business Satellite getting softball questions from the panel, and he came across to me as a disingenuous globalist stooge. He wants to change the law to enable hard lockdowns, which I think would pave the way to domestic passports to do just about anything. That makes him unforgivably authoritarian in my view. But he’d just be a puppet in any case.

Hope he loses.

hopefully he can accelerate our exit out of this current covid garbage situation Japan finds itself in

You are surely joking.

That has literally been his job all year. Japan ‘finds itself’ in this situation because somebody, guess who, totally screwed up the vaccination rollout and is now too busy planning his future to focus on what is still his job today.

One reason why Japan’s vaccine rollout was so slow according to Minister Kono: Pfizer had included Japanese nationals in vaccine trials conducted in the US, but health ministry insisted on redoing them months later on Japanese soil because of factors like “dietary differences.” 

Time to replace “nihonjinron” with “nihonshokuron.”

       Phillip Lipscy

The same good old guards are still on top, that means NOTHING will change, yes Mr. Kono might be a blink in a far distance tunnel of hope but i don't expect that much of a change in the LDP governing policy and it's history of corruption .

Wow! Major changes will come for Japan. (sarcasm)

There are two more rumored people who are contemplating to bid their candidacy: Shigeru Ishiba and Seiko Noda. Altogether, there would be five candidates. The head of LDP is voted for by 407 lawmakers and 1.13 million party members scattered all across the country.

Since the head of LDP automatically becomes a prime minister, Japan’s prime minister is selected only by 407 LDP lawmakers and 1.13 million LDP members.

The lawmakers represent only the interests of their constituency. They are not elected on the platform of a national issue: for example, the Henoko new base issue.

Therefore, it’s quite unfair that only the members of a majority party have right to vote and elect a prime minister.

The system to elect a prime minister remains to be changed.

And the soap opera continues...

I wonder who our real leaders over at Nippon Kaigi will choose to be our front person. I'm betting on Kishida

Kono showed himself completely and utterly inept at delivering the vaccines in a timely fashion, but instead of losing his job he's likely to get promoted to the highest political office in the country. What a joke!

Thousands have died and been unnecessarily infected because of him dragging his feet. It turns out that it never was a supply issue after May, but a internal logistics problem. That's how responsibility.

In France they're investigating the initial minister in charge "endangering the lives of others" for botching the first response, here you're rewarded for you incompetence.

If he can't handle a rollout, what makes people think he can lead the country.

Didn’t get your jab yet-thank Kono!

Didn't get a vaccine passport-ditto.

Didn't get a raise this year, get out of Japan, stayed at home without recompense-dittox3!

PM Kono Taro Kono PM, perhaps?

So big change politically? A new Token PM who can’t do anything without the OK of Faction Leaders. What a waist of time and money. Might as well change Japans official designation to “The People’s Democratic Republic of Japan” and be done with the pretense.

@blue

Yeah I can agree with that. Kono needs to provide more details to what he means but if it turns out to be a lot of things then CHP would fit into that. He has the advantage of adding it later and looking like a futurist so I can laugh at that too ;) My guess it that's it's political training to not be so specific while sounding like change

Im not impressed.

Please call me Minister Prime Kono Taro.

It may be by luck of his comments, politicians are certainly vague to be sure, but CHP removes the last 4km problem. The greatest loss in transmitting energy as it's scaled down to local voltage/amperage. If energy is more local then it can be converted on site and removes several steps (losses).

Kono did actually constantly used the word 省エネ (sho-ene) or energy saving (energy) instead of 再生エネ (saisei-ene) renewable energy which is, of course, nonsense (I mean "energy-saving energy", WTF?)

省エネ or energy saving energy is technically a thing, we'd call it CHP for combined heat and power or cogeneration. You can do a lot in industry that is making something right now but wasting the energy created. Given the mixed zoning in Japan that puts industry nearby instead of in far away zone, this is has a great potential for neighbourhoods and cities as the energy is already being made right now

Kono couldnt give a straight answer on a number of questions asked to him, because he doesnt have them!

People better watch out for what they wish for, at least Kishida is giving concrete plans for his version why he wants the job as leader of the LDP.

JT backing kono here? He announced his bid to be the president of the LDP.

Kono will win and retain the leadership position until at least 2030. He has the necessary skills for doing so.

More than ever Japan needs strong leadership ready to cooperate with the USA, Europe, and ASEAN to stand up to China and Russia.

And look forward to better relations with South Korea very soon. You read it here first.

That was a good tip toe around the nuclear lobby relegating them to second tier status if renewables are not enough. But if investments in renewables continue nuclear will forever be off the table. So nice way to encourage change based on conditions without blanket refusal

With nearly 2.4 million followers on Twitter, he says he will keep tweeting if elected prime minister….unless he blocks you.

He had a meeting yesterday with the sinister overlords, they must have given him the nod. Now with his soul now in jeopardy he will have to tow the line. On the bright side his pension will rock.