TOKYO —

Prime Minister Taro Aso has been trying hard to bolster support for the candidates backed by his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, as it will be a hard-fought race against opposition parties and serve as a bellwether for the forthcoming general election. The problem is the candidates’ campaign offices don’t like it. With support for the premier remaining low at around 20 percent in recent polls, his unusual step of giving stumping speeches for the 58 LDP-backed candidates since early June has often been met with scowls, if not open criticism by nervous campaigners who want to avoid anything that might turn voters away in the July 12 election. ‘‘How many of you are seeing me in person today for the first time?’’ Aso called out at a campaign office in Setagaya Ward in late June. ‘‘You think I look better than on TV, right?’’ he joked, prompting laughter among a crowd with a line he has used in dozens of earlier speeches.

Even party veterans are now facing difficulty, while others are struggling to attract people at support gatherings. At a gathering held for Shigeru Uchida, an executive official of the LDP’s Tokyo chapter and has served six terms in the metropolitan assembly, LDP officials repeatedly said the ‘‘DPJ storm’’ has hit the local election. ‘‘This election is perhaps the very first difficult election for Mr. Uchida,’’ said LDP Acting Secretary General Nobuteru Ishihara. Ishihara, a House of Representatives member, asked for further support from about 1,000 people who gathered at a hall in Chiyoda Ward. The last Tokyo assembly election in 2005 was not an easy race either for the LDP, which lost three seats from its previous total of 51, while the DPJ nearly doubled its 19 seats to 35. ‘‘We want Mr. Aso to think more carefully about his actions,’’ said an executive member of an LDP campaign office in Setagaya Ward following Aso’s visit. ‘‘He needs to come up with eye-catching policies rather than doing stumps, because that’s what people want. People want change.’’

Kyodo

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12 Comments

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  herefornow at 06:19 AM JST - 3rd July

  Gee, and I thought all LDP guys were stupid and hopelessly clueless. Maybe I was somewhat incorrect in that assumption, as anyone who distances themselves from Aso cannot be completely out of touch.

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  some14some at 06:27 AM JST - 3rd July

  ...Tokyo is like "Union Territory of Ishihara", therefore, we would like to hear from him not Aso.

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  Den Den at 07:09 AM JST - 3rd July

  So do they have anymore idiots, with family ties, who can replace him?

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  sakurasuki at 07:38 AM JST - 3rd July

  Just face it, countdown your final day!

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  Pukey2 at 08:19 AM JST - 3rd July

  ie endorsement from aso = kiss of death

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  buggerlugs at 08:56 AM JST - 3rd July

  At least he will get his wish to be remember as a primeminister.

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  smithinjapan at 09:07 AM JST - 3rd July

  An Aso endorsement is looking a lot like an endorsement of the former US president in his waning days -- indeed the kiss of death. And using the same joke over and over? Just lame.

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  Simon_Foston at 10:15 AM JST - 3rd July

  ‘‘We want Mr. Aso to think more carefully about his actions,’’ said an executive member of an LDP campaign office in Setagaya Ward following Aso’s visit. ‘‘He needs to come up with eye-catching policies rather than doing stumps, because that’s what people want. People want change.’’

  Like herefornow said, it's maybe wrong to assume that everyone in the LDP is stupid, clueless and out of touch, as the above comment indicates. Unfortunately, the people they choose to lead the party ARE stupid, clueless and out of touch.

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  timorborder at 11:00 AM JST - 3rd July

  Ah, Toxic Taro. The news just gets better. Aso's biggest problem is he has delusions of power. He was only placed in the top job because there was no body else. Fukuda, Abe, Koizumi all had the turn, and Aso was the only one left. He was also dumb enough to not realize that he was receiving a poison Chalice, with none of the younger generation of LDP leaders willing to become PM and lead the party to a very difficult election.

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  stirfry at 12:52 PM JST - 3rd July

  20% approval for Asol ? highly doubtful...single-digits is more like it

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  Statistician at 01:49 PM JST - 3rd July

  LDP are on the skids.

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  onewrldoneppl at 11:20 PM JST - 6th July

  Karin Kusunoki may be interested in Aso's support. i mean, i would vote for her in a heartbeat.

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