White paper roses adorned the lapels of Liberal (meaning ultraconservative) Party members in Japan's Diet. The roses were to remind Diet members to behave like gentlemen during the voting for the new Prime Minister.* The reminder was effective, but it did not help the Liberals' own candidate, Shigeru Yoshida. In an orderly manner, the Diet's lower chamber voted for busy, birdlike Hitoshi Ashida, leader of the Democratic (meaning mildly conservative) Party.
Ashida received 216 votes (five more than the required majority), while rose-wearing Yoshida got 180. The Diet's upper chamber voted the...