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

Wednesday 24th September, 07:16 AM JST

Latest 15 of 38 Total Comments Show All

solarbuster at 03:06 PM JST - 24th September

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
tokyofun1 at 03:06 PM JST - 24th September

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...
Triple888 at 10:07 PM JST - 24th September

He will visit the shrine at some point and promote nationalism.
usaexpat at 12:10 AM JST - 25th September

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.
realist at 01:05 AM JST - 25th September

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.
gogogo at 02:27 AM JST - 25th September

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
tkoind2 at 10:27 AM JST - 25th September

Aso is another LDP vanguard. More of the same incompetent leadership for as long as he manages to stay in office.
BombGroup303rd at 10:45 AM JST - 25th September

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.
moonbeams at 11:20 AM JST - 25th September

I enjoy saying Prime Minister Aso.

I also enjoy Prime Minister Aso's lively quotes.
ronaldk at 01:18 PM JST - 25th September

If he wants that crappy thankless job more power to him.
Psych at 01:54 PM JST - 25th September

at least he doesn't say "I'm not you!"
TokyoVP at 06:01 PM JST - 25th September

Aso is to the LDP as Gorbachev was to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He'll be the last LDP Prime Minister.
isthistheend at 07:05 PM JST - 25th September

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.
chibaman at 10:41 PM JST - 25th September

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.
Blue_Tiger at 11:30 PM JST - 27th September

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