The personality contest foisted on the public as a campaign for the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party insulted the intelligence of anyone with a nervous system, and not just because Taro Aso was known to be a shoo-in from the beginning. By presenting five candidates who were supposedly vying equally for the position, the LDP got the media to cover the thing as if the public had a say in it. The LDP hopes this illusion of involvement carries over to the next general election. If voters think they influenced Aso's ascendance by reflecting his "popularity," then maybe they'll elect him for real once they are given the opportunity to do so.

Defeating Aso's presumed opponent in the general election, Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa, may not be that easy, but the fact that there's no real difference between the two candidates may benefit the LDP. As political journalist Henry Adams said more than a century ago, the effect of too much publicity is a general loss of sympathy: Nobody cares that there's no difference between Taro and Ichiro. And when you don't care, you figure you might as well keep the bums in office — or not vote at all. It's been the secret of the LDP's success for 50 years.

I traveled to the United States last week wondering if there was something to care about in the current presidential election campaign. I intended to watch as much campaign coverage as I could, since I knew that the information I was receiving in Japan was removed from the emotional environment that produced it.