The greatest misfortune for a political figure is to become a particular god's double. Why? Although the god will never transfer his actual assets to his double, all his debts will be heaped on the double's shoulders.
The problem with being a double is that you don't have a brand name of your own, so you can't be identified or supported.
At the moment, KMT presidential candidate Lien Chan (連戰) is mired in just this predicament. The rituals of the party's national congress and the selection of his running mate were precious opportunities for Lien to create a voice for himself. But he has completely failed to do so.
One can't say Lien hasn't been working hard enough. But his efforts seem certainly to have been mostly in vain.
Perhaps it's time for Lien's camp to remap its campaign strategies before support for Lien loses too much momentum. The foremost task for Lien is to abandon the role of a double and become a new god himself, with his own characteristics and policy positions. Only then can he become identifiable.
Otherwise, all the laborious efforts, all the new campaign visits and all the new mass rallies will simply be forgotten.
To make Lien into a new god is actually not such a difficult project. There are a few things to consider: he is not charismatic, so one cannot ask him to play the role of rousing the crowds; and he is not one of those beaming, silver-tongued orators, so word games and beautiful speeches are not suitable for him either.
But in an election where more and more candidates turn out to have only slogans, Lien could try to build himself up on the policy side and distance himself from his old god. Suggesting some new, different policies with boldness and creativity could make up for his inadequacies. Only when he can prove that he is not a double to anyone can he get people to listen.
Lien needs to resist the fate of a puppet like the Manchu Emperor Te Tsong (
A god's double can be a good person, but he will not have much impact. A democratic election cannot possibly pick a good but useless person. What's more, a double can become a god's tool in a "forsake X in favor of Y" (
There is not much time left for Lien's camp to start all over again. He needs to change his style and restate his positions. He cannot carry on in the same manner as he has been doing recently, nor can he afford an immobile, uncreative image much longer. He needs to prove himself with a new style and new positions and show that he is a new god and not a double.
As for the old god, didn't he promise to become a preacher?
Nan Fang Shuo is the publisher of the Journalist.
A foreign colleague of mine asked me recently, “What is a safe distance from potential People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force’s (PLARF) Taiwan targets?” This article will answer this question and help people living in Taiwan have a deeper understanding of the threat. Why is it important to understand PLA/PLARF targeting strategy? According to RAND analysis, the PLA’s “systems destruction warfare” focuses on crippling an adversary’s operational system by targeting its networks, especially leadership, command and control (C2) nodes, sensors, and information hubs. Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, noted in his 15 May 2025 Sedona Forum keynote speech that, as
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) last week announced that the KMT was launching “Operation Patriot” in response to an unprecedented massive campaign to recall 31 KMT legislators. However, his action has also raised questions and doubts: Are these so-called “patriots” pledging allegiance to the country or to the party? While all KMT-proposed campaigns to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers have failed, and a growing number of local KMT chapter personnel have been indicted for allegedly forging petition signatures, media reports said that at least 26 recall motions against KMT legislators have passed the second signature threshold
In a world increasingly defined by unpredictability, two actors stand out as islands of stability: Europe and Taiwan. One, a sprawling union of democracies, but under immense pressure, grappling with a geopolitical reality it was not originally designed for. The other, a vibrant, resilient democracy thriving as a technological global leader, but living under a growing existential threat. In response to rising uncertainties, they are both seeking resilience and learning to better position themselves. It is now time they recognize each other not just as partners of convenience, but as strategic and indispensable lifelines. The US, long seen as the anchor
The Central Election Commission (CEC) on Friday announced that recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) have been approved, and that a recall vote would take place on July 26. Of the recall motions against 35 KMT legislators, 31 were reviewed by the CEC after they exceeded the second-phase signature thresholds. Twenty-four were approved, five were asked to submit additional signatures to make up for invalid ones and two are still being reviewed. The mass recall vote targeting so many lawmakers at once is unprecedented in Taiwan’s political history. If the KMT loses more
RSS