Heh, Akimoto did get his politician on in that interview.
The election and listening to the fans opinions on who should be in what song and such and such was a brilliant idea. Atsuko Maeda gets pushed to the front because the fans love her. If the fans all of a sudden didn't love her she'd get shoved to the back instead of continuously being force fed. And that concept plays so well to how hardcore idol fans are, with the fact they have some power in deciding which girls get pushed.