Abe may hit rocky road after not decisively winning party race

as his rival garnered nearly half the votes, more than expected, of rank-and-file party members.

These folks are the one's who will make a difference in upcoming elections. Within the LDP members who are in the Diet, Abe won by a landslide, but if those votes were split, like the party members votes, Abe would possibly have lost, or at least it would have gone another few rounds.

Funny how this article comes on the heels of the euphoric victory speeches and promises of glory. There are going to be a few "rah rah rah" Japan folks that are headed for disappointment! Abe isnt "god"

Political commentator Kichiya Kobayashi said Ishiba's popularity among ordinary members of the ruling party -- whose voices are believed to be closer to public opinion than those of LDP lawmakers...

Well, naturally. The ordinary members are ordinary people who have to live in the real world. All those clueless LDP buffoons in the Diet know of public opinion is what they're fed by pollsters and spin doctors.

Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election, his new three-year term may not be so rosy as his rival garnered nearly half the votes, more than expected, of rank-and-file party members.

Whatever...

Political pundits say Abe risks becoming ineffectual without having had a landslide victory because his new term will be his last under existing LDP rules and intraparty attention could shift to who will replace him.

So? They'll just change the constitution to let him keep governing. That's all.

Ah, no worries! He will fix that problem with a cabinet reshuffle.

Wasn't it a HUGE victory?

Aly RustomToday  08:15 am JST

So? They'll just change the constitution to let him keep governing. That's all.

The LDP just has to change its leadership rules before the next party presidential election. However if this article is any indication even the LDP may be sick of Abe by then. He didn't really pull off a very impressive victory as it is.

If some comments go to differentiate type of voters (law makers and "ordinary" people), it means system is so far from democracy.

But 55 against 45 % is still a good victory. LDP will go its way for constitutional change, no matter what the people of Japan think.

The last until he changes the law again.

There is an old saying...”if the boss is monkey, a the boss is a monkey. But if the boss is a stupid monkey, the the economy is doomed.”

"It will be inevitable for Prime Minister Abe to manage his government as if he is going to walk on thin ice,"

No. It would be inevitable if the government were normal. In this day and age we have more right-leaning politicians and outright dictators winning votes everywhere, and they simply do what they want despite the majority not wanting it, calling their win a public-supported mandate to justify doing so.