Japan General Discussion: Abe Carries On

[PSOL]

So with the More left Democratic Party, how much of it is originating from splinters of LDP, like with HP being former rebels.

[PSOL]

Still won’t be enough to finally get the LDP out of office.

[PSOL]

How have the parties reacted to the pandemic? Are they shifting blame around, or are they working on minimizing the deaths to their constituents?

[PSOL]

On the JCP, is factionalism rife there as the rest of Japanese parties, or is it a centralized party?

[PSOL]

On the JCP, is factionalism rife there as the rest of Japanese parties, or is it a centralized party?

my general impression of the JCP is that by virtue of their ideological isolation they have to be more cohesive than other parties.

Agreed.  JCP these days is really more of a social democratic party than a real Communist party.  The commitment to ideology (other than the Pacifist Constitution) is fairly low when compared to various Communist parties in the world historically.   JCP in many ways represents the Old Social Democratic Left while the new woke Left actually finds itself in CDP.

The best example of this in the 2019 京都(Kyoto) Upper house elections.  LDP CDP and JCP are all running to win the 2 spots.  LDP will clearly win 1 of the 2 spots so the election was really a CDP vs JCP battle for the remaining spot. I was sure that the LDP and KP vote would tactically vote CDP to beat back JCP. But it turns out the CDP candidate is a LGBT activist and is a lesbian.  So despite the non-JCP Center-Left Opposition base being bigger than JCP in  京都(Kyoto)  it seems that more LDP and KP voted tactically for JCP to stop CDP than the other way around.  As much as KP hates JCP their social conservatism lead them to vote JCP to beat back the new woke left. 

In other words JCP is Bernie Sanders and CDP is Kamala Harris.

Bernie Sanders is more “woke” culturally then Kamala Harris though.

[PSOL]

Wouldn’t a snap election be an awful move PR-wise?

[PSOL]

If seems the DPP might be headed for a split.  There are talk that former DP leader 前原誠司(Seiji Maehara) might lead his faction to merge with the JRP.  前原誠司(Seiji Maehara) is coming out in favor of the JRP Osaka Metropolitan plan.   DPP source say that there are divisions within the party  on an alliance with JCP along with CDP which is leading to fissures.  With the surge in JRP support recently the 前原誠司(Seiji Maehara) Rightist faction within the DPP now thinks there are electoral benefits into alliance with JRP.  It is not clear a break will necessary take place but DPP clearly is having problems holding its party together. 

Would the rump DPP stick it alone or join the CDP?

[PSOL]

How exactly is the CDP losing ground to the JRP? The latter party seems a bit conservative for the base of the former party?