politics

Abe's support rate lowest since taking office in 2012

22 Comments
By Linda Sieg

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22 Comments
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All J Population wanted from Abe San LDP Government was the promised economic transformation of Abe's "three arrows"......Two, a combination of aggressive fiscal stimulus and monetary easing was never in doubt but the third a reform, restructuring program has never materialized. Leave the pacifist constitution well alone and deal with the task at hand the economy.

When I want to speak, nobody listens, when they want me to speak, I have nothing to say

Winston C.
15 ( +16 / -1 )

the next election isn't scheduled until 2018, and abe is betting that voters will forget about this by that time. and with the opposition parties still fractured and weak, he's betting that the ldp could still win enough seats to maintain power. here's hoping he's wrong.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

Print more money.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

nakanoguy01Jun. 15, 2015 - 04:56PM JST

the next election isn't scheduled until 2018,

The next Upper House election is due July 2016. The next Lower House election is due December 2016, though Lower House is more often dissolved before the due date for an earlier election.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I hope he is not surprised. Shoot that damn 3rd arrow already. Not sure it would even mean anything now.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

It was his focus on "Beautiful Country", nationalist views, and aiming to amend the constitution during his first term that brought down his popularity and eventually his "tummy-ache" departure.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Oh, the public. So fickle.

In August 2007, right before Abe resigned due to his "health", his support was at 27% and do not support was around 64% according to Yomiuri Shimbun.

http://www.mansfieldfdn.org/backup/polls/2007/poll-07-35.htm

That was in the wake of scandals and resignations and a suicide. Oh, and Abe was pledging to do the exact same things like constitution change, a stronger military, etc in 2007 when he was basically ousted. Then all of a sudden his Abenomics and still wanting a constitutional change was momentarily popular a year or two ago when he regained control of the government in landslide party victories. Buuut now these ideas that people hated in 2007, but accepted in the polls in 2013-2014, is now hated again in 2015. Confused? So is the voting public apparently.

What do you want people?! Do you want Abe in power or not? If they had an election tomorrow, which way would you go? Carbon Copy Rival Candidate A or Carbon Copy Rival Candidate B or back to good ol Abe?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

harvey pekar,

The big difference between 2007 and now is that Abe has much more media control.

In spite of this, if the opposition parties got themselves organised, had their fingers on the pulse of the nation and read the signs correctly, they could turn things around in the next couple of years.

However, probably the reason why the LDP is still there, neither Liberal, nor Democratic is because there is effectively NO opposition.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Although I am not a fan of Abe, he made a smart move for himself and his party by calling that early election (as many posters on here predicted). Unfortunately it wasn't good for the majority of people here in Japan. (Abe supporters will thumb this down, but I wanted you all to see that those predictions were correct).

5 ( +5 / -0 )

We have Abe supporters on the forum?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

What's surprising after all his lies, manipulations and flat out class warfare (named Abenomics) is that his rating is still at 40%. This probably reflects the weakness of opposition parties and general apathy of the population more than real support for Abe.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

It's time for Abe to parade the families of the Japanese who were kidnapped by North Korea on national television again. That has been successful at raising his popularity rating as elderly Japanese think he is working hard to solve the problem. Elderly Japanese account for 70-80% of the voting and they care about the North Korea kidnapping issue more than any other. Abe knows it and has played them several times to improve his ratings.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Thousands rallied on the weekend to protest the security bills and other policies such as plans to restart nuclear reactors taken off-line after the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Good to see that the Japanese citizens have started to shake off their collective lethargy, and are beginning to attempt to have their voices heard on such critical issues. Way, way overdue.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

The "apple polishing" chicken hawk has already been in office too long. He wants to get Japan in a war to please his political base and his masters in Washington. Beware Brutus, you friends can turn on you in a heartbeat.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I give Abe +++ for just simplify being himself and not a puppy of others desires, impulse and fantasy ...

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

He's a 'puppy' of others, those others just happen to not be the majority of the people.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Just a matter of time before this GUY is thrown out of Office!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I am so glad people are standing up against Mr Abe and this whole nonsense about changing Article 9. This article specifically prohibits Japan from engaging in War due to territorial dispute and forbid involvement in a conflict outside of Japan. If we change this law Japan will be dragged into wars and conflicts we have no business being in and ultimately turn territorial disputes into armed conflicts. When it comes down to defending Japan there is going to be a Huge difference between defending Japan under the pretext of Pacifist Policy or defending/attacking under Aggressive non-pacifist policy.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

No surprise.

First, there's PM Abe's joke of an economic plan.

Then there's this attempt to fool people by using the word "reinterpret" when clearly the security bills violate the constitution. The government has been brazenly dishonest, giving out spurious statements.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just a matter of time before this GUY is thrown out of Office!

We may hope. But this guy seems well connected

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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