Sayonara, Hatoyama

Failing miserably in his attempt to overturn an international treaty, Hatoyama is resigning as Japan's Prime Minister. It's amazing how bad you look when you make overturning a treaty the centerpiece of your campaign, then find out that overturning that treaty isn't all that easy. Campaigning as a populist isn't that hard; ruling as one is.

Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama resigned Wednesday to improve his party's chances in an election next month, after his popularity plunged over his broken campaign promise to move a U.S. Marine base.

Finance Minister Naoto Kan, who has a clean and defiant image, emerged as a likely successor. He signaled he intends to run for leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan at a party meeting to be held Friday.

Sweeping into office just eight months ago by defeating the long-ruling conservatives, Hatoyama captured the imagination of many Japanese voters with his promises to bring change and transparency to government, as the country grappled with economic stagnation and an aging, shrinking population.

So when he failed to deliver on his pledge to move the Marine Air Station Futenma off the southern island of Okinawa and his staff got ensnared in a political funding scandal, his approval ratings rapidly sank, falling below 20 percent.

By: Brant