Whether one likes it or not, the paths of Taiwan and the US seem to be tightly entwined.
This was proved again on Tuesday, when just eight months after voters here decided to put an end to eight years of rule by a man and his party, the US electorate followed suit, choosing an opposition party figure to replace a president who has been berated and lampooned in equal measure.
US president-elect Barack Obama’s victory on Tuesday was an epoch-defining moment. Not only will he become the first black president in the history of the US, but his victory brings the curtain down on one of the most controversial and divisive presidencies of all time. Many Americans are hoping that, come January, their new president can quickly rebuild bridges and repair their country’s tarnished global image. They also hope he can re-establish what many call the US’ “moral authority,” something badly eroded by two terms under President George W. Bush.
This is similar in some respects to President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) victory in March, as he was the first non-Taiwanese to be elected president, and on promises that he would turn Taiwan into a cross-strait “peacemaker,” not a “troublemaker.”
Obama swept to power on a message of change, convincing voters that he has what it takes to change the politics of Washington and heal the deep rifts that persist in US society.
US voters put their faith in a message of hope, unity, a new direction for their country and promises of better economic management — again echoing Ma’s campaign.
Obama’s victory, if one looks at the Electoral College, would appear to be a landslide, but with 52.3 percent of the popular vote compared with Republican Senator John McCain’s 46.4, Obama knows he has a lot of people to win over. This was apparent in his victory speech when he told those who did not vote for him: “I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices … and I will be your president, too.”
Ma’s margin of victory was slightly larger at 58.45 percent, but he too recognized the need for unity and promised to work for all Taiwanese. On the night of his victory he told the gathered crowd: “This election result is not a personal result, nor a victory for the KMT [Chinese Nationalist Party], it is a victory for all Taiwanese.”
Obama has a much broader and complicated range of tasks to handle than Ma. However, the tasks are similar in this: Obama will take charge of a state that has a problem with its international standing.
It is in the world’s interest that Obama is up to the huge task that has been placed on his shoulders, because the alternative is deepening uncertainty and instability — feelings that most Taiwanese are burdened with just six months into Ma’s term.
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In honor of President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday, my longtime friend and colleague John Tkacik wrote an excellent op-ed reassessing Carter’s derecognition of Taipei. But I would like to add my own thoughts on this often-misunderstood president. During Carter’s single term as president of the United States from 1977 to 1981, despite numerous foreign policy and domestic challenges, he is widely recognized for brokering the historic 1978 Camp David Accords that ended the state of war between Egypt and Israel after more than three decades of hostilities. It is considered one of the most significant diplomatic achievements of the 20th century.
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