Which way will Japanese elections go? CNBC invited Tina Burrett, a political scientist at Temple University, Japan Campus, into the studio for in-depth analysis. Japan's ruling Democratic Party of Japan recently revealed its election platform — a headline-grabbing move, Burrett said. "This election is wide open," she said. "Because [Prime Minister] Noda is so far behind in the polls, he needs some dramatic, headline-grabbing initiatives to propel his party."