With the first televised presidential election debate to be held on Saturday, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is holding mock debates to get DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) “into shape.”
A DPP source said on Friday that Tsai’s unique characteristic is her rationality and practical nature, and that her strength is her ability to explain her policies, adding that unlike other political figures, she does not like to criticize others.
The public likes her style and that is the style she will use in the debate, the source said.
Tsai has been using her spare time to familiarize herself with some of the questions that might come up during the debates, campaign officials said, adding that Tsai was scheduled to hold a series of mock debates starting today.
The DPP’s 10-year policy guidelines will constitute the core of her views on national policies, party officials said, adding that Tsai would continue to use common-sense practicality to win public support.
The mock debates will invite party members to play-act possible responses by her rival presidential candidates, the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), the sources said, adding that other party workers would also raise questions for Tsai to answer to prepare her for the debate.
Meanwhile, Ma held a three-hour marathon meeting with staff members on Friday, including Ma’s running mate, Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), Deputy Premier Sean Chen (陳沖), Council for Economic Planning and Development Minister Christina Liu (劉憶如), who ran the mock debate simulation during the 2008 election, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛), media guru Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) and the core members of Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin’s (郝龍斌) administration to discuss the televised debates.
Sources said the debate simulation and questions for the Ma team were the responsibility of Ma campaign deputy chief executive Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強).
Ma campaign headquarters staff said Ma’s debate would center on his administration’s achievements over the past four years, as well as his ideals and vision for the future.
With less than 50 days to go until the elections, the KMT’s upper echelons feel that to win support from undecided voters, the most vital point was to emphasize concrete policies, as well as demands that are closer to the needs of the public.
The televised debate on the elections will influence undecided voters, party officials said, saying debates are a critical factor in elections.
On how to deal with Soong during the debate, senior party members said the method should be to take whatever Soong says on a case-by-case basis.
The debate strategy is not on who to attack or not to attack, but rather to build up a strong “case” that thwarts attacks from different angles, allowing the candidate to maintain his poise during the debate, the party members said.
Ma campaign officials said that although Ma’s schedule is very busy, he would participate in one or two complete mock debates.
The PFP is also gearing up for the debate, with PFP sources saying the party was focusing on how to solve “real” problems and not working on the finer points of the candidates’ oratory skills.
Soong confirmed on Saturday that he had prepared a lot of information to explain the PFP’s policies, adding that they would argue a “critical four years” is more important than empty promises of “a golden decade” or “10-year policy guidelines.”
“I’ve prepared all the data and I will be consulting professionals and old friends on the plausible ways of resolving problems,” Soong said.
Asked whether he would hold mock debates ahead of the televised debates, Soong said preparation was not the key to debating Ma and Tsai.
Although Soong is regarded as having better oratory skills than his opponents, the PFP will not underestimate them, PFP officials said, adding that while Tsai and Ma may not have extraordinary public speaking skills, they are both adept at memorizing data.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
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