DIDN'T THEY JUST PULL THEMSELVES RIGHT IN THE LAST ELECTION?:

Will North Korea push Japan to right? (Martin Fackler, 10/09/06, International Herald Tribune

The last time North Korea tested a powerful new weapon - in 1998, when it fired a ballistic missile over the largest Japanese island - Japan reacted by beefing up its military and swinging politically to the right.

Now, the North's apparent test of an atomic weapon on Monday could push Japan even further down the same conservative path. Many political analysts say the test, which has yet to be confirmed, could weaken public support for the nation's post-World War II pacifism, and prompt Japan to seek a growing role in regional security.

The electorate is pre-reactive.

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 9, 2006 2:03 PM