At 5:30, I’m calling it. Ma’s ahead of Wang by 11 thousand to 4,700. 
19,240 - 8.465 as of now
I’d love to be able to share your optimism, but it’s far too early to call it yet. There’s still plenty of time for the baddies to “find” a huge number of extra votes that swing the result in their man’s favour.
But if, in spite of everything, the right man actually does come out as winner, I’ll take my hat off to the rank-and-file membership of the KMT, and savour the latest slap in the face for Lien and his fellow villains.
So you think there is still time for a fake gun shot to the belly to turn this around?
Who’ll play the “Crazy Annie” role?
I hope Ma has plenty of bodyguards around him, with 33% of the votes counted and well over two thirds of them cast in his favour.
If that’s indicative of the final result, it will be completely humiliating for Wang et al and a decisive blow against the old black-gold election culture. That will be a great thing to celebrate for everyone who wishes Taiwan well.
My god, why hasn’t the handsome thing been brought up yet?
Not to mention that Ma is far more physically appealing than both the outgoing chairman and Wang.
OK, so now on to the next discussion. How much longer will it be before Wang’s hardcore followers split away from the KMT? Will the KMT survive this election in a recognizable form?
At about 7:15 with about half the votes counted, so far Ma Ying-jiu has beaten the CRAP out of Wang Jinping. He’s so far ahead, even the KMT hardliners won’t be able to pull something off. If the count continues the way it has been going, not only will Ma win, he will have a HUGE mandate from the party membership to enact massive reform within the KMT.
It’s official - Wang just conceded defeat! Yay! :bravo:
It’s a wonderful result. A boot in the backside for Wang, another middle finger for Lien, and a further resounding confirmation of Soong’s escalating impotence and irrelevance on this side of the Taiwan Strait. Let’s hope that all three will quickly disappear from Taiwan’s political landscape. Lien and Soong will no doubt hide themselves away overseas, and Wang has already announced his intention to resign from the vice chairmanship of the KMT. If he has a shred of honour, he’ll also resign from the leadership of the Lifayuan. Good riddance to all of them, congratulations and good luck to Ma, and three cheers for the 300,000 good members of the KMT who cast their votes so wisely.
Good on Ma. But unless he also gets the Central Standing Committee in next month’s election – mostly Wang’s bumchums – he’s still fucked.
It was extremely nice to see Wnag following in his master’s footsteps and running off rather than face the ignominy of greeting Ma.
Yes, a fascinating result, as much because so few people called the size of the win.
And yes, it’s goodnight Lien Yeye, that miserable little failure of a man. True to form, Lien flashed his ballot paper to the media today (could it not have been deliberate? He even had the booth curtain drawn!). What a loser, and what a fitting way for a loser to go out.
I predict retirement on Long Island, NY, where he will be among friends, or at least the ghosts of friends.
And it’s back to square one for Beijing. Again.
This is a huge victory for Ma. If he can “democratize” the party, initiate some degree of transparency especially on economic party asset issues, move the party’s HQ to the south, and increase young people’s activity within the party – it will bode well for the party’s chances in 2008. If Taiwan’s economy continues with slow growth and the DPP doesn’t improve its administrative capabilties or listen to its wiser TSU allies :bravo: on “nixing” the DPP-PFP alliance – I would say Hsieh will have a hard time beating Ma in 2008. The “housewife panty” factor is too strong in politics. Ma is “in like Flynn” with the suburban moms – green or blue.
I also believe Ma has good chances for 2008, but these are big ifs. Let’s see how he does. It will be interesting. I am wondering how much trouble he will have from bitter Wang supporters who want to retain their hold on power.
As for Beijing, they should be pleased. Despite Ma’s occasional comments about their human rights record, he is still blue, still pro-unification and has charisma. He is just the man they might need to get rid of the DPP and sow the spores of “china fever.” I bet Ma will get an invite to Beijing one of these days…
Don’t count your chickens on this. Ma has already dismissed “one country, two systems,” he’s been blocked from entering his birthplace by Beijing and (perhaps most significantly) he’s not venal enough to do major deals with flotsam. He’s also one helluva lot smarter than Lien, so Beijing is going to find him less manipulable.
Lien and his cronies were not so much “blue” as “blue today, red tomorrow”. Ma strikes me as something of a “blue tomorrow” man, with maybe even traces of green every now and then. That’s what makes him so much more dangerous for the DPP.
The bad news is that Lien’s good-for-nothing, military service-avoiding son has been elected as a KMT delegate. So this woesome dynasty has a little puff in it yet.
Not only in terms of the total vote count, but also in that he beat Wang comfortably in every single constituency, including Wang’s home turf in the south. I’m sure that even in his wildest dreams he could never have imagined winning such a strong mandate from party members across the board. It will give him irresistible power within the party, whatever those in high positions who have been scheming against him may do to try to thwart him. I believe we might see the real Ma stand up and assert himself now that he is in such an indisputably strong position.
A truly great day for both the KMT (hopefully it will truly begin serious reform as Ma has promised) and the Republic of China.
Congratulations, Chairman Ma! 
[quote=“LittleBuddhaTW”]hopefully it will truly begin serious reform as Ma has promised[/quote]I wish I could be so optimistic, but I fear the old money men are just going to try and isolate him in the same way they have tried to isolate CSB. As far as these smoky backroom mobsters are concerned, it just doesn’t matter what the rank and file wants.
Ma doesn’t have the nuts to stand up to the old guard, and neither do his supporters. He’ll either bend to their ways or become a lame duck chairman.
[quote=“hsiadogah”][quote=“LittleBuddhaTW”]hopefully it will truly begin serious reform as Ma has promised[/quote]I wish I could be so optimistic, but I fear the old money men are just going to try and isolate him in the same way they have tried to isolate CSB. As far as these smoky backroom mobsters are concerned, it just doesn’t matter what the rank and file wants.
Ma doesn’t have the nuts to stand up to the old guard, and neither do his supporters. He’ll either bend to their ways or become a lame duck chairman.[/quote]
Sadly I agree. I can’t help but feel I saw Ma’s true colors when he censored the anti-kmt vcd a while back. grrrrr
I don’t agree. I think the KMT wants to win in 2008, and they’ll follow whoever’ll take them there. Ma is politically stronger right now than he has ever been in his life. He’s earned politcal capital (to borrow a phrase from GWB). Let’s see how he spends it.
I totally do NOT disagree with you MM.
I only add that MYJ is just as much as a SOB as the others…
I see dead peopele