Regarding Taiwan’s opposition election alliance contributing to the calmer period, I am less sure now the dust is settling.

Earlier I wrote that this cooperation was a risky bet by the Taiwanese opposition that they can rally the majority that wants a change of power, with Hou Yu-ih and Ma Ying-jeou bringing the generally older Blue Camp base and Ko Wen-je the younger, more Taiwanese critical base.

This should give the DPP’s hitherto rather lacklustre Lai Ching-te reason to worry. At the time, though, I also noted there was reason for optimism.

In the best case for the opposition, the joint ticket launches without a hitch and serves as a focal point for the broad and diverse coalition of voters that wants change.

In the worst case for the opposition, they have turned a complicated race back into a simple pro-Taiwan/pro-China choice, which benefits the DPP.

Now the excellent observer Nathan Batto writes how Ko Wen-je appears to have been had by Ma Ying-jeou:

frozengarlic.wordpress.…

Tomorrow morning 10 am local time we hear the outcome of the selection process. If Hou Yu-ih does indeed become the lead candidate, this will make the race a more typical DPP vs KMT race. Moreover, if the grumbling we already hear coming from the TPP/Ko Wen-je camp intensifies, it will. be a boring but disciplined DPP versus a messy KMT with unhappy TPP tacked on.

Moreover, Monday we will likely see Taiwanese representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim announced as Lai’s vice-presidential candidate. That should finally add some energy to the DPP campaign. A clear illustration of the Blue Camp’s impotence in the face of that is hardly going to assure the CCP.