Prediction on the Interim Election: What Will Happen to Mike Honda?
アメリカの全国的な選挙は２年に一度、11月第一月曜日の翌日に行われます（全て小選挙区制です）。
The U.S. holds a national election every two years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
下院議員は任期が２年なので、毎回選挙戦を戦う必要があります。また下院議員は、一票の格差を防ぐために10年ごと（西暦が10で割り切れる年）に行われる国勢調査の数字に基づいて調整される、400余りの選挙区に分れています。人口が増えた州は選挙区が増加し、人口が減った州は選挙区の数が減らされます。
The term for members of the House of Representatives is 2 years, so they must stand for election each time. In order to maintain balanced representation, the more than 400 election districts are readjusted after each census, which is conducted every 10 years (in years divisible by 10). States which have gained population may gain an extra election district, and states which have decreased in population may lose an election district.
上院議員は任期が６年なので、毎回その３分の１ずつが選挙戦を戦います（したがって各州では３回に１回は上院選挙がありません）。上院議員は全米に100人いて、人口比率とは関係なく、全50州にそれぞれ２人です。
The term for senators is 6 years, so one-third of the senators stand for election each time. The senate has 100 members, 2 from each state, regardless of differences in the population of various states.
大統領は任期が４年なので、１回おき（西暦が４で割り切れる年）に選挙があります。そして４で割り切れない年の選挙のことを「中間選挙」と呼びます。
The term of the President of the United States is 4 years, so he or she stands for election every other time (in the years divisible by 4). The election held in years not divisible by 4 is called an interim election or off-year election.
アメリカは基本的に二大政党制の中で、保守派の共和党と、リベラル派の民主党が常に対立しています。現在のオバマ大統領は民主党です。そして連邦議会の上院は民主党が過半数を占めていますが、下院は共和党が支配しています。いわゆる「ねじれ国会」なのです。
In what is basically a two-party system, the conservative Republican Party and the liberal Democratic Party are always at odds. The current President of the United States is a democrat. The Democratic Party has a majority in the senate, but the Republican Party has a majority in the House of Representatives. The legislative branch is therefore divided.
しかし今年の中間選挙で、共和党は下院の支配を続けながら、上院の過半数も獲得する見込みです。州知事選でも共和党が有利だと言われています（州知事選は必ずしも大統領選と同じ年に行われるわけではなく、今回もいくつかの州で争われています）。
It is expected now that the Republicans will retain their majority in the House and obtain a majority of the seats in the Senate in this interim election. The Republicans also seem to have the advantage in the gubernatorial elections at stake.
オバマ大統領の支持率は「どん底」に落ちていますが、実は連邦議会の信頼は「どん底のさらに下」に落ちています。今回の選挙は共和党優位ですから、結局、大統領と連邦議会の「ねじれ状態」は続きます。そのせいか、今ひとつ全国的に盛り上がっていないし、マスコミもそれほど精力的に伝えていません。
President Obama’s support ratings are at a dismal low, but the ratings for Congress are even lower. It appears that the Republican Party has the lead for this election, but no matter what happens in the interim election, the present situation of a divided government between the president and the Congress will not change. Perhaps for that reason, there is not very much enthusiasm about this election, and the mass media is not covering it very extensively.
その中で、私個人が注目しているのは、カリフォルニア第17選挙区です。現在、この選挙区の現役下院議員は「マイク・ホンダ」という日系３世です。彼こそが従軍慰安婦問題を理由にして米国内に反日感情を掻き立てた中心人物であり、慰安婦像の設置を推進してきた張本人です。アメリカ人の私が言うのは変かも知れませんが、日系人のくせに選挙票の獲得を目的として中国・韓国に魂を売った「裏切り者」です。
The one race which I am watching closely is California House District 17. The present representative is Mike Honda, a third generation Japanese American. He has been a central figure in stirring up anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States, particularly as regards the “comfort women” issue, and has promoted the building of comfort women statues in various localities in the U.S. It may sound strange to have an American say it, but this erstwhile son of Yamato has sold his soul to the Korean and Chinese elements for political gain.
ところで今回の選挙では、ホンダ氏の落選が噂されています。対立候補はインド系アメリカ人の弁護士、ロー・カンナ氏です。ウェブ上の噂によれば、反日勢力の支持がマイク・ホンダから彼の方に移っている可能性があるそうです。17区の人種比率は、アジア系が51.4％で、白人33.7％、中南米系17.2％、黒人3％だそうです。いかにしてアジア系の票を取り込むかが、勝敗を分けるポイントなのです。
http://www.sankei.com/world/news/140524/wor1405240027-n1.html
It is rumored that Honda will lose this next election. Honda’s opponent is an Indian American attorney, Ro Khanna. Accordingly to the buzz on the web, the anti-Japanese forces may have shifted their support to Khanna. The ethnic mix in District 17 is Asian 51.4%, White 33.7%, Central and South American 17.2%, Black 3%. The main point will be how to secure the Asian vote.
ですから、カンナ氏が当選したとしても、この選挙区の議員である限り反日的な立場を採る可能性は高いです。しかし、もし長年信頼し、自分の身も心も捧げ、生涯尽くしてきた支持団体の裏切りが原因で、日本を裏切り続けたマイク・ホンダ氏が、８選目にしてついに落選するのだとすれば･･･。
http://www.sankei.com/world/news/140419/wor1404190011-n1.html
Even if Khanna wins the election, as the representative of this district, there is a high likelihood that he will continue the anti-Japanese stance. And if Honda loses his eighth election due to betrayal by the trusted support groups to which he has devoted his political life…
私が以前書いた「これって空耳？」をマイク・ホンダ氏にも読ませたいです！
これって空耳？：http://ameblo.jp/workingkent/entry-11920875447.html
I would suggest that he read the following blog article regarding “Voices from Heaven” which I posted recently.
English：http://ameblo.jp/workingkent/entry-11920836150.html
日本時間の来週水曜日に結果が出るので、見守りましょう。
We will be looking forward to the results, which should be available on Wednesday of next week, Japan time.