Since its poor showing in the 2014 local elections, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has become a byword for failure and a subject of mockery — but now, party members are counting on a new asset to help them improve public perception: a hoodie bearing the party’s name.
Droves of disappointed supporters abandoned the KMT after the party’s 2014 post-election calls for reform and solidarity turned out to be empty slogans, while others decided to hide their support for the party to avoid ridicule.
Nearly 800 party employees have been laid off since late 2016, as the KMT had to trim its personnel expenses of NT$1.4 billion (US$47.7 million) per year to survive while it was denied access to most of its assets, many of which have been frozen pending investigation by the Cabinet’s Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
However, just when everyone thought the KMT would continue on its downward path, a hoodie introduced by the KMT Women’s Department in January to raise funds for its volunteer program has unexpectedly helped revamp the party’s image and draw supporters.
“When I took over the leadership of the Women’s Department without pay in October last year, the party had lost most of its assets,” said KMT Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), whose department only has one other staff member left after it was downsized from almost 50 employees. “The department did not even have the budget to buy something as small as beverages for our volunteers.”
The idea of introducing a KMT hoodie came to Ko while she was mulling ways to generate new income, she said adding that she remembered the school hoodies of Tamkang University, where she served as student affairs dean for seven-and-a-half years before being elected lawmaker in 2016.
Hoodies printed with university’s acronym were popular with students because of their good quality and youthful design, she said.
“People used to think of the KMT as lame and filled with old folks,” Ko said. “Many of them would have been deterred by the idea of walking on the street wearing a shirt that bears the party’s logo.”
“However, I was certain that as long as our products radiated a young image, people would be willing to put them on,” she said.
When Ko’s hoodie — which comes in red and navy blue, and carries a large, bold KMT logo with the slogan “Lean in together” — was launched on Jan. 12, it did not immediately command the public’s attention.
However, after former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wore the hoodie on a grocery shopping trip on Lunar New Year’s Eve on Feb. 14, eager shoppers flocked to the Internet looking to buy one.
The hoodies remained out of stock until early March and several sellers on China’s popular Taobao.com even started selling knockoffs.
Several thousands of hoodies were ordered following Ma’s public appearance, Ko said, adding that people are increasingly buying the items in bulk.
The buying frenzy stands contrasts with the atmosphere in the run-up to the 2014 local and 2016 general elections, when Ma’s support ratings dropped to as low as 9.2 percent at one point. Ma was blamed for the KMT’s poor performance in the two elections.
So why has Ma gained popularity all of a sudden?
The DPP administration’s failure to live up to voters’ expectations could be a factor, Ma’s office spokeswoman Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) said.
“After the DPP administration took office, many KMT supporters who did not vote in the two elections [out of disappointment] started to realize that in comparison Ma did a good job as president, especially in terms of stabilizing cross-strait relations and expanding the nation’s international space,” Hsu said.
Hsu said that since he left office in 2016, Ma has either won or been acquitted in most lawsuits brought against him, which speaks of his character and integrity, and has gradually restored people’s trust in him.
“The two sentiments combined are probably what has motivated KMT supporters to let their renewed support for the party be seen and heard, something they would not previously have done,” she said.
The hoodie’s popularity is evidence that people no longer feel embarrassed displaying or admitting their support for the party, KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said.
The introduction of the hoodie embodies the kind of KMT revival that pan-blue camp supporters have wished to see for a long time, Chiang said.
“The product stands out from the party’s longstanding serious and prudent culture, and paints a new image of openness, proactivity, flexibility and vitality,” Chiang said. “It represents some sort of cultural evolution and renovation.”
However, a hoodie alone will not salvage the KMT, which is why the party should take the opportunity to get rid of old ballast and revamp its culture, he added.
The KMT’s morale and public support will be put to the test in the Nov. 24 nine-in-one local elections — and so will Ko’s clothing business.
Ko on Tuesday launched a new line of T-shirts with KMT logo, which come in five different colors that she said were chosen based on a poll among young people.
“The only color that is off-limits is green,” Ko said, adding that she is also considering introducing a few designs where the KMT logo is less apparent, for the party’s younger and more reserved supporters.
Ko said the long-term goal is to expand beyond just clothes.
“I think my department will soon be able to afford lunch boxes for our volunteers,” she said.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS