The constitution will be a focus in 2007,

Support for the Koizumi cabinet remains quite high among voters. But he can't solve the problems inside his own backyard. The election will be a great chance for the Democratic Party.

There's no way around it. Koizumi is a political genius. His creation of the assassin candidates has captured the public's imagination.

Being young as a politician means being energetic. But it can also mean that the politician is immature or fragile.

There could even be a double election for both houses, cast as a referendum on constitutional revisions.

Koizumi beat up on the old LDP and cast the Democratic Party as anti-reform, ... The Democrats should have stressed more that Koizumi's reforms were not enough.

Koizumi beat up on the old LDP and cast the Democratic Party as anti-reform. The Democrats should have stressed more that Koizumi's reforms were not enough.

Koizumi tried to achieve reform within the LDP framework ... But he couldn't do that, so that means reform is only possible if there is a change in government.

He's already a lame duck, but it would be a minus for his ability to handle the LDP and parliament.