Candidates Return to Policy Debate

Candidates Return to Policy Debate
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
September 6, 2011

Summary: The general election is four and a half months away. The current policy struggle between the Two Yings is considered an essential part of the presidential race. Partisan mobilization is the factor most likely to influence the outcome of the election. The closer we come to election day, the more likely partisan mobilization, even ideological confrontation is likely to begin. But given the Two Yings personal and political character, we remain optimistic. The Two Yings have the ability to adhere to policy debate, in which case politics on Taiwan may enter a new phase.

Full Text below:

In the media age, visual and auditory impact is everything. Straightforward policy debate attracts scant attention. But political leaders are not show people or talking heads. It is not their job to entertain the public by staging media events or by slinging mud.

Pressures are mounting in the presidential election. The KMT presidential candidate is Ma Ying-jeou. The DPP candidate is Tsai Ing-wen. Ma refers to his platform as the "Golden Decade." Tsai calls hers the "Platform for the Coming Decade." When referring to rival platforms, supporters use virtually identical language. They say the rival candidate's platform is "full of flowery words and empty rhetoric." Conversely, when referring to their own candidate's platform, they say he or she has "the ability to implement his or her vision for the nation." To their credit, the Two Yings have published their platforms, leaving them open to public scrutiny.

Ma Ying-jeou's "Golden Decade" and Tsai Ing-wen's "Platform for the Coming Decade" have ensured a comparatively normal presidential campaign. The upcoming presidential debate already has substantive issues to take on. Past election campaigns were "saliva wars." Candidates slung mud indiscriminately. They were lively affairs. But the public soon wearied. At the very least, the Two Yings have set a commendable precedent for future campaigns.

Ma Ying-jeou is the incumbent. Tsai Ing-wen is the challenger. Their positions are different. But both are political leaders. Both must offer a direction for the nation's future. Tsai Ing-wen has launched her "Platform for the Decade." It has been criticized for being full of "pretty but empty rhetoric." But she is at least making an effort to persuade people who do not support her. So far, her platform is no more than an outline. It will be followed by a more detailed White Paper, which will be subject to even closer scrutiny. Contrast this with 2008. Ma Ying-jeou published his White Paper. But DPP candidate Frank Hsieh assiduously ignored it, Instead, Hsieh harped on the Green Card non-issue. He resorted to all manner of negative campaigning. No substantive policy debate took place. Tsai Ing-wen deserves credit for insisting on a campaign rooted in rational debate.

The DPP is the opposition party. Not surprisingly, its "Platform for the Decade" is deliberately vague. After all, if one is in the opposition, one need assume no responsibility for day to day governance. But the DPP was in office for eight years. Excessive policy vagueness inevitably invites criticism. Does the DPP really not understand this? Have three years in the political wilderness induced amnesia? Has the DPP become so emotionally removed from policy implementation?

The KMT is the ruling party. Ma Ying-jeou has published his "Golden Decade" platform. He faces even harsher scrutiny than Tsai. Critics may not bother to characterize his platform as "full of pretty rhetoric." The reason is simple. Ma is already in a position of power. His policies must be implemented here and now. He must demonstrate a capacity for real world governance. From a management perspective the easiest way to make one's case is to cite numbers. Alas, numbers are the least effective way to win voters' hearts and minds.

The "Golden Decade" platform implies that administration policies have already been implemented, or about to be implemented. It implies that the ruling administration is capable of implementing its vision for the nation over the coming decade. Unnamed senior officials in the Ma administration have revealed that "There will be no earth-shattering announcements. Merely the continuation of existing policies." The Ma administration is confident its platform is more worthwhile and substantive than the DPP's.

Does the "Golden Decade" platform contain anything of substance? The public will decide. Public opinion is rooted more in perception than in numbers. The Ma administration's performance may be interpreted very differently by different parties. The Ma administration's record on taxation, fiscal policy, 12-year national education, and industrial policy may be perceived as either good or bad, depending upon whom one asks. At best, the "Golden Decade" will win the approval of a majority.

The "Golden Decade," and the "Platform for the Coming Decade" each have their own appeal. Regardless, the Two Yings are serious about their bid for high office. They have returned to the issues. People First Party Chairman James Soong has recently been the focus of public attention. Soong, by contrast, has yet to make his case. He is still waffling about whether to run. He is maintaining campaign momentum by raising hot button issues and staging photo ops. He clearly suspects he will lose. His glory days as provincial governor are hardly a topic for policy debate. After all, the public has far higher expectations from a national leader than a local leader.

Blue vs. Green polarization on Taiwan remains intense. Will policy debate be the deciding factor in the presidential race? That remains to be seen, The public is concerned about the direction politics has taken. Most people know what they love and hate, They evaluate the candidate's words and deeds based on it. But mob passions and partisan confrontation eventually lead to burnout. More and more people are indifferent to Blue vs. Green political confrontation. This is especially true among so-called "swing voters." More and more they demand practical, rational, policy debate. Only when the candidates return to debating policy, will democracy on Taiwan truly mature.

The general election is four and a half months away. The current policy struggle between the Two Yings is considered an essential part of the presidential race. Partisan mobilization is the factor most likely to influence the outcome of the election. The closer we come to election day, the more likely partisan mobilization, even ideological confrontation is likely to begin. But given the Two Yings personal and political character, we remain optimistic. The Two Yings have the ability to adhere to policy debate, in which case politics on Taiwan may enter a new phase.

大選回歸政策辯論 值得肯定
2011-09-06 中國時報

在現今講究聲光效果的媒體時代，單純的訴求「政策」議題確實很難吸引民眾關注，但身為政治領袖，終究不是藝人或名嘴，不能只以花稍的身段，辛辣的攻擊言詞取悅民意。

面對壓力愈來愈大的總統大選，國、民兩黨總統參選人馬英九與蔡英文，同步推出「黃金十年」與「十年政綱」，儘管支持者與反對者，幾乎用相同的語言批評對手「充斥美麗而空洞的詞藻」，肯定自己的主帥「有能力落實國家願景」，至少雙英還能不媚俗地推出政策牛肉，供各界檢視。

馬英九的「黃金十年」和蔡英文的「十年政綱」，已經為總統大選開啟一個相對正常的序幕，可預期未來的總統大選辯論，也已經有了一個可供實質辯論的題材。相對於過去大選政治口水亂射，熱鬧固然有餘，卻搞到全民精神疲勞，雙英至少創造了一個值得稱許的競選模式。

馬英九與蔡英文即使所處的朝野位置不一，但都是必須為國家前景提出方向的政治領袖。蔡英文推出「十年政綱」後，儘管被批評為「美麗而空泛」，但她至少願意用美麗的詞藻說服可能不支持她的人；此外，既為「政綱」即屬提綱挈領，因此，後續她將進一步以「政綱」為本，提出具體的政策白皮書，必然會遭到更嚴格的檢驗。但不論如何，對比二○○八年，馬英九提出競選政策白皮書後，民進黨參選人謝長廷相應不理，持續主打綠卡議題等負面選戰，讓實質的政策討論付諸闕如，蔡英文堅持理性論述的選舉風格，確實應予肯定。

做為在野政黨，民進黨的「十年政綱」難免空泛，畢竟在野者不負執行之責，但是因為民進黨有過八年執政經驗，過度空泛難免遭致非議，為什麼執政八年還不了解實務到這個地步？或者為什麼才在野三年多，對政府已經執行的政策卻疏離至此？

同樣的，做為執政者，馬英九推出的「黃金十年」可能遭遇的檢驗不會比「十年政綱」更少，可以預期「黃金十年」或許連「美麗的詞藻」都沒有。原因很簡單，既已處執政的位置，所有的政策都得是目前已經落實執行，而且，還得具體提出執行的績效，從管理的角度，呈現績效最簡單的方法就是數據，然而，數字偏偏是最難打動人心的。

此外，既為「黃金十年」就表示這些已經執行或準備執行的政策，可以有效落實至少十年的國家願景，馬政府不具名的高層人士透露，「不會有驚天動地的宣示，都是現有政策成果的延續。」但也信心滿滿表示，一定比「十年政綱」更有看頭、更扎實。

「黃金十年」是否更扎實？還是得由民意認可，民意很大部分倚賴的是「感覺」而非數字。換言之，所有馬政府推出的政績成果，都可能引發仁智之見的爭論，從稅制到國家財政，從十二年國教到產業規畫，其實都沒有一個必然好或不好的定論，「黃金十年」最多只能做到爭取多數人的認可。

「黃金十年」與「十年政綱」各有其市場定位的優劣勢，但不論如何，雙英皆嚴肅面對自己即將競逐的大位，已經成功將他們拉回主戰場，相對之下，最近同樣掀起民意關注的親民黨主席宋楚瑜迄未提出其主張，依舊擺盪在選與不選總統之間，企圖以懸疑的話題和動作維繫熱度，很明顯地又略輸一著，畢竟曾任省長的往日輝煌不可能成為政策內涵的辯論主題，國家領導人的高度，就是必須不同於地方父母官。

無可諱言，台灣當前藍綠對立的氛圍未解，政策戰到底能否成為決勝關鍵，不無疑問，關心政治趨勢和走向的民眾，多數心中或許早有好惡，也依據其好惡檢視候選人的政策內涵與言行表現，但是，激情的民意對峙終究也有疲乏的時刻，愈來愈多的民眾對藍綠惡鬥抱持冷漠的態度，特別是所謂的「中間選民」，愈來愈重視實際、理性的政策論述，只有當選舉回歸政策基本面，台灣民主才有真正成熟的可能。

距離大選投票還有四個半月，此刻的雙英政策牛肉戰或許可視為選戰過程中必要的戲碼，愈接近投票日影響選戰最大的可能還是政黨動員，甚至意識形態的對決，但觀諸雙英的人格特質和政治性格，我們還是樂觀期待，雙英有能力一以貫之地堅持以政策論述決勝，那麼台灣的選舉格調、政治文化即可再臻新境。