Taipei Mayor Ma: China's favorite for President in 2008?

Politics Taiwan Politics
1

Was Ma’s visa snub an attempt by the KMT and/or China to help Ma win in 2008?

  • Yes, it was a contrived attempt to make Ma look good.
  • No, it was 100% an unexpected surpise to Mayor Ma and not contrived at all.

0 voters

Mayor Ma should definitely be China’s pick out of its favorite sons to be president of Taiwan in 2008, especially compared to ANYONE in the DPP or TSU and likewise compared to the China born two time losers Lien and Soong.

With this, I find it quite laughable that Mayor Ma can point to his refusal in getting a Hong Kong visa as proof that he is not favored by China to be president of Taiwan.

Does anyone else agree with me here? I think the HK visa snub was all a setup to make Mayor Ma look like he is not favored by China to be president of Taiwan. The KMT and/or China were perhaps working together on this.

2

China was recently in the process of amending its constitution in order to force it to take military action against Taiwan in the event of Taiwan declaring independence. I believe Mayor Ma voiced his opposition to this development.

Perhaps this is why he was refused his HK visa at this particular time. Well this is what my Taiwanese friends tell me.

3

China’s not that smart. They’ve never been able to manipulate public opinion in their favour before - what makes you think things have changed?

4

Yes, that is the reason people suspect that he was refused the visa. However, I think this is indeed one of the first times in recent history that Ma has ever publicly criticized China. I think he did it on purpose as part of the buildup to the 2008 Presidential race. His main weakness is his association with the KMT and their Pro-China policies.

5

The Chinese will do anything to get their quislings into power.

6

That’s a “horse” of a different colour. Is Ma smart enough to manipulate China? Yes. Is China smart enough to manipulate Taiwanese public opinion? No way. :loco:

7

It’s possible I suppose. 2008 is a long way off though and anything could happen between now and then, I mean, somebody might even try to shoot him.

8

Taipei’s jogging clown in the Presidential Palace? Will hardly ever happen, unless he takes a guided tour or something. Must be hard to be refused a visa to the place he was born. :raspberry:

9

How could people trust Ma, when the man spied on his own countrymen at Harvard?

He may be Mr. Smiley on television, but he is just a puppet for the

10

I doubt that China did this to make Ma look good, simply because it’s just way too soon. The next presidential election won’t occur until more than three years from now. I think it was Harold Wilson who said that “a week is a long time in politics,” so three years is pretty much infinity. Will Ma be the KMT candidate in three years? Maybe. Then again, he could get hit by a bus while jogging long before then.

cheers,
DB

11

[quote=“Dog’s_Breakfast”]I doubt that China did this to make Ma look good, simply because it’s just way too soon. The next presidential election won’t occur until more than three years from now. I think it was Harold Wilson who said that “a week is a long time in politics,” so three years is pretty much infinity. Will Ma be the KMT candidate in three years? Maybe. Then again, he could get hit by a bus while jogging long before then.

cheers,
DB[/quote]Actually to the twice defeated KMT, no time is too soon to start campaigning. Ma has been getting ready for this for years already. He loves the limelight. Look at what a ham he is for the local TV crews.

12

[quote=“Hobart”][quote=“Dog’s_Breakfast”]I doubt that China did this to make Ma look good, simply because it’s just way too soon. The next presidential election won’t occur until more than three years from now. I think it was Harold Wilson who said that “a week is a long time in politics,” so three years is pretty much infinity. Will Ma be the KMT candidate in three years? Maybe. Then again, he could get hit by a bus while jogging long before then.

cheers,
DB[/quote]Actually to the twice defeated KMT, no time is too soon to start campaigning. Ma has been getting ready for this for years already. He loves the limelight. Look at what a ham he is for the local TV crews.[/quote]

Unlike the paragon of dignity Chen was when he was mayor.

13

This is one of the prizes of my clippings file.

14

That is a true gem.

15

China just doesn’t do things that subtly. My money says it was a warning to him to be more pro-China.

For all his failings I don’t think Ma is the type of man China would really want to see in power. He is an idealist at heart.

16

[quote]http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/126152/1/.html

“Two groups of people from Hong Kong came to Taiwan in the past few weeks telling me there was change to (my) trip. One group said it has something to do with my criticism of (China’s) anti-secession law,” Ma told reporters.

Ma said the visitors from Hong Kong suggested he cancel the trip citing “busy scheduling” but he refused. [/quote]

Obviously Tung Chee-hwa is worried about Mayor Ma’s health and busy schedule, he’ll need all the rest he can get for the presidential race in 2008.

17

The KMT will just shoot Ma and blame it on the DPP. A new White Terror begins after Ma is “sworn” in.

18

I don’t like the way you wrote this poll. Just because the pundits are say it is a “contrived attempt to make Ma look good” does not mean you have to rerun the sound bite.
Ma would not look “good” or “bad” either way, but the application could be a KMT litmus test for Ma’s relations with HK and, by extension, how he fares with HK experts in Beijing. Doing a litmus test on another nation, for a politician, is no more “contrived” than a scientist in a lab doing, well, a litmus test.
HK on the other hand could not have ordered Ma to apply for a visa, so the SAR can’t really control how it makes Ma look. They just have to review his application and decide what to do with it. HK is in the countermove position, not the initiator position.