Netizens panned Chinese Nationalist Party (KTM) Taipei mayoral candidate Sean Lien’s (連勝文) first TV campaign ad, released on Thursday, saying it showed Lien being arrogant and bragging about his family’s wealth.
Since announcing he would run for Taipei mayor, Lien, son of former vice president Lien Chan (連戰), has suffered from having an image as a “princeling” and being reliant on his father, but Sean Lien’s campaign office says it has sought to use that stereotype in his favor.
The commercial, titled “Spreading the Seeds of Hope” (散播希望的種子) and directed by director Hsu Yi-ming (徐一鳴), focuses on the responses of young people asked what they would do if they had a lot of money, what they would do if their father had lots of money and what they would do if they had the kind of money Sean Lien has.
Photo: CNA
Some of the responses in the video said that they would go around with a blonde woman, buy some property for when they retire and tour the world.
Others said that if their fathers were rich they would simply stay at home and count money, speculate on land or stock or live in a mansion in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義區).
On the question of what they would do if they were Sean Lien, some said they felt Sean Lien was “stupid” for running, given the wealth he already enjoys.
The commercial ends with Sean Lien stating: “To be a mayor is not to besiege a castle, but to plant a seed of hope within the heart of every resident.”
Sean Lien campaign director Alex Tsai (蔡正元) said the commercial sought to emphasize Lien’s decision to take the more difficult path.
Tsai said Sean Lien has often been misunderstood and criticized by those who do not understand him, but many in politics come from rich backgrounds, adding that Democratic Progressive Party Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) properties were not earned through her pay as a professor, but were a gift from her father, the president of the Hai Ba Wang (海霸王) restaurant chain.
“However, many in the media choose to ignore this, and this is a part where Sean Lien is at a disadvantage,” Alex Tsai said.
Alex Tsai added that the commercial would be aired for five consecutive days.
However, the campaign ad was not well-received by netizens.
Some said they “have never seen an election campaign where the candidate brags about his wealth,” while others said: “It seems being a mayor is beneath him.”
Others said that the Sean Lien camp is simply trying to portray younger people as unintelligent and superficial, which was condescending and arrogant.
Chien Yu-yen (簡余晏), a spokesperson of Sean Lien’s rival, independent candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), made a jab at Sean Lien’s family wealth, saying that normally it cost between NT$1 million and NT$2 million (US$33,000 and US$66,600) to air a campaign ad, adding that it would cost NT$10 million to air the ad for five consecutive days across all channels.
Sean Lien’s campaign has already spent more on the ad than the NT$12 million in total the Ko office has raised for Ko’s campaign, Chien said.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
NO SHAME IN RETREAT: Hikers should consider turning back if the weather turns bad or if they do not have sufficient equipment, the Taroko park headquarters said Two people died of hypothermia over the weekend while hiking on Hsuehshan (雪山), prompting park authorities to remind hikers to bring proper equipment and consider their physical condition before setting out in the cold weather. Temperatures dropped over the weekend, bringing snow to high altitudes in Shei-pa National Park. One hiker, surnamed Lin (林), who on Friday was traveling with a group of six along the Hsuehshan west ridge trail, lost consciousness due to hypothermia and died, the Shei-pa National Park Headquarters said. On Saturday, another hiker, surnamed Tien (田), in a group of five on the southeast of the west
RSS