Former legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) refused three times to be campaign headquarters director for the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜). Wang has made up his mind and nobody is going to change it.
Wang has been engaged with Taiwanese politics for half a century. Having been elected legislative speaker five times and deputy legislative speaker twice, Wang can rightfully be called the “leader of the KMT’s local arm,” but precisely because of his being “local,” he has always been held back from progressing to the party elite.
In 2005, when he competed with then-Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for the KMT chairmanship, Wang failed to win any support from the KMT elites, and residents of military dependents’ villages all over Taiwan suddenly became united to criticize and attack Wang. Ma got 72.4 percent of the votes, preventing Wang from getting a bit closer to the center of the KMT. Wang was handed a humiliating defeat.
In March 2019, Wang announced that he would run for the 2020 presidential election. At first, he decided not to be a part of it because of the “weird ways” in which the KMT’s presidential primary was conducted. Later, Wang won support from the People First Party (PFP), but in the end, he had to give it up because PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) was determined to be the presidential candidate himself. Wang had no choice but to withdraw.
The political careers of Wang and Hou are not the same, but both of them belong to the KMT’s “local” arm, and this has made it much more difficult for them to become the party’s presidential candidates. Wang has been well aware of the invisible “local” ceiling.
The only thing he could do was to stare at the banquet inside the party’s mansion, without being led inside to enjoy the food.
The nomination of Hou by KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) might include some careful calculations, but Wang must know that neither himself nor Hou were of KMT elite stock. He also knows that if he agrees to become the director of Hou’s campaign headquarters, he will still be confined by the KMT’s internal power struggles. He would likely face the brunt of the blame if Hou lost the election. Wang has learned his lesson, and becoming the party’s enemy No. 1 is the last thing he needs.
Lin Chun-fa
Taichung
Showing support for Taiwan
Forty-three years ago my wife and I visited Taiwan. Unable to speak Chinese, with the help of the kind Taiwanese, we were able to travel around without any problem. We had a wonderful experience. Since then we have traveled all over the world, but we have never found a more gracious and helpful people than the Taiwanese.
Recently, I returned alone. I had no problem taking the MRT from the airport to the Taipei Main Station, but somehow was lost underground and could not get out and find my hotel. Four teenagers not only walked a long way with me, but also carried my bag to the hotel entrance.
Between the Cosmos Hotel and the M3 entrance a hard- working woman with a roadside breakfast cafe made me feel at home, and I ate there almost every day. I bought her a cake before leaving. I wish I could have done more to repay her kindness.
The next day I took the high-speed rail to Sun Moon Lake. People helped me navigate during the entire journey. One day, I was looking for a family that was kind to my wife and me 43 years ago. They owned a restaurant called “Hagars Beer House.” More than 10 people helped me get close to the location. Then, a very kind gentleman spent a great amount of time with me until we found the restaurant location (sadly, 20 years ago it was made into an apartment building).
The time that I spent with this great man made up for the disappointment of not finding my friends. Afterward, he not only walked me to an MRT station but also traveled with me to my connection to make sure I would not get lost. I am very sad that I may never see him again.
I could go on praising the Taiwanese. I am trying to have shirts made that have Taiwan printed on the back and just below it the Taiwanese symbol for “strong,” so my friends and I may show our support for your great country.
To those who interacted or remember helping the 77-year-old man with a cane and blue hair, I send my sincere thanks.
Joe Budnick
Arizona, US
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