Since the rancorous and histrionic breakup of the planned “blue-white alliance,” polls have shown a massive drop in support for Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), whose support rate has dropped to 20 percent. Young people and pan-blue supporters seem to be ditching him.
Within a few weeks, Ko has gone from being the most sought after candidate to seeking a comeback.
A few months ago, he was the one holding all the cards and calling the shots, with everything in place for a rise to stardom. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was still dealing with doubts from its terrible performance in last year’s local elections, while the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), has proved to be a relatively weak character who could not generate excitement. As long as Ko stayed ahead of Hou, he had a good chance of winning the three-horse race.
For Ko, winning the presidency would be a bonus. As the chairman of a third party that is just starting to expand its influence and power, he has his eyes set on boosting his party’s share of legislative seats. By characterizing the DPP as being in dereliction of duty, among other issues, he sparked a sense of deprivation and exploitation among the public, and established himself as the champion of an anti-DPP coalition.
As a master strategist, he has been careful not to cross the line or offend KMT supporters, because he is relying on strategic voting.
If he finishes second in the presidential election and the TPP emerges as the biggest opposition party ahead of the KMT, that would satisfy him.
However, Ko’s capriciousness and duplicity have come back to bite him. His flirtation with the KMT culminated in a joint statement by both parties last week, but being unable to bear the pressure from his party, supporters and his sobbing family, Ko broke the deal.
At the last-ditch meeting at the Grand Hyatt Taipei, Hou threw Ko under the bus by reading aloud text messages, resulting in the two parties going their separate ways.
Ko’s act of self-defeat — being open to run as second fiddle to Hou, whether out of fear of losing or due to a moment of frailty — awakened his supporters and TPP members to his true nature: The leader who vowed to bring reform and “return the country to young people” betrayed their trust by being willing to be vice president on a combined ticket.
While he might be seen as a master plotter, playing politicians against each another, perhaps the real Ko is one who seeks to “fake it until he makes it” while hoping people do not see through him.
Without a vision for the nation, he improvises on the campaign trail when he faces trouble.
It is ironic that Ko pleads for his supporters to not write him off when it was he who initiated the planned alliance with the KMT, showing that he does not have the spine for responsibility, and needs his wife and mother to save him.
With Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) joining Hou on the KMT ticket, Hou’s support has spiked, with deep-blue supporters rallying behind him. Ko, on the other hand, seems to have been abandoned, lacking allies and financial aid.
Even though he is not out of the game yet, Ko faces an uphill battle, just as Hou did a few months ago.
As strategic tensions escalate across the vast Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan has emerged as more than a potential flashpoint. It is the fulcrum upon which the credibility of the evolving American-led strategy of integrated deterrence now rests. How the US and regional powers like Japan respond to Taiwan’s defense, and how credible the deterrent against Chinese aggression proves to be, will profoundly shape the Indo-Pacific security architecture for years to come. A successful defense of Taiwan through strengthened deterrence in the Indo-Pacific would enhance the credibility of the US-led alliance system and underpin America’s global preeminence, while a failure of integrated deterrence would
It is being said every second day: The ongoing recall campaign in Taiwan — where citizens are trying to collect enough signatures to trigger re-elections for a number of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators — is orchestrated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), or even President William Lai (賴清德) himself. The KMT makes the claim, and foreign media and analysts repeat it. However, they never show any proof — because there is not any. It is alarming how easily academics, journalists and experts toss around claims that amount to accusing a democratic government of conspiracy — without a shred of evidence. These
Taiwan is confronting escalating threats from its behemoth neighbor. Last month, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conducted live-fire drills in the East China Sea, practicing blockades and precision strikes on simulated targets, while its escalating cyberattacks targeting government, financial and telecommunication systems threaten to disrupt Taiwan’s digital infrastructure. The mounting geopolitical pressure underscores Taiwan’s need to strengthen its defense capabilities to deter possible aggression and improve civilian preparedness. The consequences of inadequate preparation have been made all too clear by the tragic situation in Ukraine. Taiwan can build on its successful COVID-19 response, marked by effective planning and execution, to enhance
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has upheld the core goals of “making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” fully implementing an “America first” policy. Countries have responded cautiously to the fresh style and rapid pace of the new Trump administration. The US has prioritized reindustrialization, building a stronger US role in the Indo-Pacific, and countering China’s malicious influence. This has created a high degree of alignment between the interests of Taiwan and the US in security, economics, technology and other spheres. Taiwan must properly understand the Trump administration’s intentions and coordinate, connect and correspond with US strategic goals.
RSS