近聞遠見：「寸止め」になっていない＝岩見隆夫

(Mainichi Japan) December 2, 2008

Whatever happened to Aso stopping short of the political line?

近聞遠見：「寸止め」になっていない＝岩見隆夫

Every year around this time, I call my attention to the yellowing gingko trees surrounding the Diet. The brilliance of their autumn hue changes from year to year, but they are always there to tell us that another year is fast approaching its end.

　この季節、国会周辺のイチョウ並木に触れるのが恒例になった。年によって、色づきの具合にいくらか違いがあっても、変わらぬ師走風景である。

In recent times, however, we have been finishing off each year with another kind of change: a different political leader. We finished 2005 with Junichiro Koizumi, 2006 with Shinzo Abe, 2007 with Yasuo Fukuda, and now 2008 with Taro Aso. Who will we have for 2009?

　だが、このところ、暮れの＜日本の顔＞は決まって入れ替わる。０５年は小泉純一郎、０６年安倍晋三、０７年福田康夫、０８年麻生太郎、０９年はだれになるのだろうか。

The bleak winds of winter have begun to bite at Prime Minister Aso. Everywhere I go, there is exasperation in the things people say: "that Aso ..." He gave us something to talk about, but his tendency to veer off course has become tiresome.

　寒さに誘われるように、麻生首相に寒風が吹き始めた。どこに行っても、

　「麻生という人は……」

　と俎上（そじょう）にのせられている。話題提供能力は抜群だが、あれもこれも脱線気味の話ばかりで、やりきれない。

Two observations about Aso remain particularly clear in my memory. The first was a comment made by former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori as he appeared on a commercial network program on Sunday, Aug. 17:

　麻生の評価をめぐって、記憶に残る発言が二つある。一つは、８月１７日の日曜日、森喜朗元首相が民放テレビに出演してこう言った。

"Many people in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are talking about Aso as the next man. And of course, I agree with them. His remarks are entertaining, and they go down better than (then Prime Minister) Fukuda's dry talk. We need to make good use of Aso's popularity."

　「自民党でも『次は麻生さん』という気持ちを持つ人は多い。私ももちろんそう思う。

　福田さん（当時、首相）の無味乾燥な話より、麻生さんの面白い話がうける。麻生人気をおおいに活用しないといけない」

The Mori remark decided the political climate in favor of Aso as Fukuda's successor. The other observation that stays with me was made by the man himself.

　この森発言が福田・麻生交代の流れを決定づけた。もう一つは、麻生本人による自己評価だ。

On Sept. 12, Aso introduced himself at a debate between nominees for the LDP leadership with the following words:

　９月１２日、日本プレスセンターで自民党総裁選の候補者による討論が行われた席で、麻生の冒頭発言である。

"I have three things to say: One, Taro Aso is a dole-out politician. Two, he's prone to gaffes. Three, he'll make enemies of China and South Korea. These are the things people find worrisome about Taro Aso. With regard to the second point, that is, the way I talk. As leader of this nation, I will never speak lightly. I ask you to check the records of my comments as foreign minister. I have always stopped short of the line. You have nothing to worry about."

　「三つ、申し上げます。

　１番目、麻生太郎はバラマキだ。

　２番目、いわゆる失言癖。

　３番目、中国、韓国を敵に回すのではないか。

　ご心配をいただいております。一つ目の……。

　二つ目、モノの言い方です。一国の指導者ともなりますと、何事も軽々には申しません。外務大臣当時の発言記録をご覧ください。いつも＜寸止め＞で踏みとどまっております。ご安心いただけます」

"Stopping short of the line" ("sundome" is the Japanese term he used) is not a particularly common expression, but it apparently refers to keeping one's remarks cautious, short, and within the bounds of safety.

　＜寸止め＞という言葉、あまり使われないが、発言は慎重に短く、安全圏に収める、といった意味だろう。

Leaving aside his years as foreign minister, let's consider his two months and more as prime minister. Aso seems to have forgotten entirely that he intended to stop short of the line.

　しかし、外相時代はともかく、首相に就いてからの２カ月余、麻生は自ら口にした＜寸止め＞の戒めをてんから忘れ去ったかのようだ。

"I will never speak lightly," he promised, then continued to shoot off remarks that required apologies or clarification. Why?

　「何事も軽々には……」

　と約束していたのに、謝罪、釈明しなければならない軽々発言を乱発している。なぜなのか。

The problem, apparently, is his ability to entertain. Not just Mori, but the entire ruling party seems to have placed its hopes on his entertaining remarks and amusing character to carry it through the election. Even now, as criticism mounts over misspoken comments, indiscreet remarks, and a tendency to misread kanji, LDP leaders insist that "he is far more entertaining than Abe or Fukuda" and their best hope for garnering the votes needed to win the next election.

　面白い、というのがクセモノだ。森だけでなく、与党全体が、＜選挙の顔＞として、麻生流の話術の面白さと面白そうなキャラクターに強い期待をかけたのは間違いない。失言・放言・漢字誤読批判が高まっているいまでも、選挙を取り仕切る自民党首脳は、

　「安倍さん、福田さんにくらべれば、麻生さんははるかに面白いんだよ。この人で選挙を戦うしかない」

　と力説し、やはり面白さが集票につながるという見方を変えていない。

Aso himself seems to have hammed it up and tried to be as entertaining as people expected him to be. Off-color remarks and a caustic tongue can be interesting. Somewhere along the way, he forgot that he was supposed to stop short of the line.

　麻生のほうも、期待に応えて、極力面白く振る舞おうとしたフシがある。話も多少ハメをはずし、毒を交えたほうが面白い。そのうちに、＜寸止め＞がどこかにいってしまった、ということではなかろうか。

No wonder there is talk within the LDP of sending in a relief pitcher. If the party intends to pull back from the cliff's edge where it now stands, it will have to depose any leader whose popularity is on the wane. In the November issue of the magazine Bungei Shunju, Aso wrapped up an essay, written shortly after he assumed office, with the following words:

"I will never run away. I won't throw in the towel midway. I will fight to the end to create a strong and radiant Japan."

Taro Aso is already face to face with his moment of truth.

　自民党の一部から、投手交代論がささやかれ始めたのは無理もない。人気が落ちたリーダーは使い捨てにしなければ、がけっ縁の自民党は生き延びられないからだ。麻生は、就任直後の論文（「文芸春秋」１１月号）を、

　＜私は逃げない。勝負を途中で諦（あきら）めない。強く明るい日本を作るために＞

　という文句で締めくくっているが、早くも正念場である。

If he is counting out the possibility of running away, he needs to shore up his forces. He apparently told his chief Cabinet secretary, Takeo Kawamura, not to worry too much about criticism, but this is hardly the time for such a carefree attitude. (By Takao Iwami, Adviser to the Mainichi Shimbun Editorial Division)

　逃げないためには、補強措置が必要なのではないか。女房役の河村建夫官房長官に、

　「周囲の声は気にせずに」

　と声を掛けたそうだが、そんなのんきな年の瀬ではない。（敬称略）＝毎週土曜日掲載

毎日新聞　2008年11月29日　東京朝刊