Odd definiton of "conservative?"

[No Elephants]

Japan's LDP set for big win in Sunday election: polls



Reuters) - Japan's conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is on track for a stunning victory in Sunday's election, returning to power with hawkish former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the helm, and possibly ending Japan's political gridlock.

<snip>

An LDP win on Sunday would usher in a government committed to a tough stance in a territorial row with China, a pro-nuclear power energy policy despite last year's Fukushima disaster and a radical recipe of hyper-easy monetary policy and big fiscal spending to end persistent deflation and tame a strong yen.

Japanese business sentiment worsened for a second straight quarter in the three months to December and will barely improve next year, a central bank survey showed on Friday, strengthening the case for the Bank of Japan to take bolder action to support an economy already in recession.

Between 30 percent and nearly 50 percent of voters were undecided with just days to go, the surveys showed. Experts said that was unlikely to affect the general trend, although turnout will probably fall below the 69.28 percent seen in the last lower house election in 2009.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/14/us-japan-election-idUSBRE8BD01M20121214

With almost 50% of voters still undecided, how does one predict that the conservatives are on track for a stunning victory?

Why does the conservative party call itself the "Liberal Democratic Party?"

Inquiring minds want to know!

[rpannier]

1. Some answers

Sorry for the lateness of the reply

1. John Howard in Australia his party is the Liberal Party. It dates back to when they were the liberal (party of change) party
2. Abe was considered dead in the political establishment no one expected him to ever be PM again
3. Undecided depends on where it is and who they're undecided about. If the undecideds are coming from more fringe groups, then it is a net zero for the conservatives. Those ppl won't vote for the ruling gov't. The polling may have asked what their choices were say 1-3 and the LDP might have finished 2nd in a lot of ppls minds

[No Elephants]

2. Thanks for giving it a shot rpannier!