Does the Public on Taiwan Really Want a New First Lady?

Does the Public on Taiwan Really Want a New First Lady?
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
December 9, 2011

Summary: Mrs. Su Jia-chyuan-chyuan, aka Hung Heng-chu, attended a wild blowout featuring male strippers. When footage of the lewd performance was televised, the scene was described as "a den of iniquity." By contrast, First Lady Chou Mei-ching has been visiting small towns in central and southern Taiwan, seeking support from rural voters. Her dress was plain and simple. Her manner was unostentatious and low-key. The contrast between the two wives could not be clearer.

Full Text Below:

Mrs. Su Jia-chyuan-chyuan, aka Hung Heng-chu, attended a wild blowout featuring male strippers. When footage of the lewd performance was televised, the scene was described as "a den of iniquity." By contrast, First Lady Chou Mei-ching has been visiting small towns in central and southern Taiwan, seeking support from rural voters. Her dress was plain and simple. Her manner was unostentatious and low-key. The contrast between the two wives could not be clearer.

Hung Heng-chu was the Director of the Pingtung Household Registration Office, as well as the wife of the mayor when she attended this public peformance with male strippers and transexuals. Actually, either a public or private performance would have been highly inappropriate. To the general public such wild parties represent atypical behavior by a nouveau riches subculture in northern Taiwan. Who knew that nine years ago such behavior had already manifested itself in southern Taiwan "high society," with the wife of county chief? The DPP has been boasting about its desire to close the "North-South gap," It appears to have done just that, with truly impressive results.

The DPP often ridicules the KMT as a "bourgeois" political party. It casts itself as the "spokeman for the disenfranchised." But when the political curtain is pulled back, we are regaled by the sight of male strippers. That the wife of the Pingtung County Chief was actually part of such a spectacle, that she actually took part in such a bacchanal, is ironic indeed.

Recently the DPP launched its "record breaking" propaganda campaign, attacking the Ma administration, It relentlessly bashed the Ma administration for the "wealth gap" on Taiwan. But given Hung Heng-chu's part in such a Dionysian spectacle, how can the DPP point its finger at others? What was that "den of iniquity" but cinema verite footage of Green Camp decadence?

The DPP can pretend not to see Su Jia-chyuan's luxury "farmhouse." It can pretend to not see Hung Heng-chu suddenly and inexplicably promoted from ordinary policewoman to deputy director of the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park. But can it pretend to not see the political scandals Hung Heng-chu could precipitate if she becomes First Lady of the Republic of China? Wu Shu-chen was wheelchair bound. Yet she could still turn the presidential palace into a smoke-filled backroom for deal-making with conglomerates and wives of wealthy political patrons. Given Hung Heng-chu's endless string of scandals, what will happen if Su Jia-chyuan is elected vice president? What sort of shenanigans will take place in his official residence?

When Ma Ying-jeou moved into Chen Shui-bian's "Jade Mountain Official Residence" he renamed it the "Chung Hsing Apartment." People virtually forgot all about it. Actually, that was a shame, Had President Ma and the First Lady Chou Mei-ching taken the time and energy to establish a new official residence, they might have established a new image for the First Family. They might have purged the presidency of the vestiges of the Chen family's corruption, extravagance, and abuse of public authority for private advantage. They might have established a new image of integrity. dignity, austerity, and decorum. Perhaps Ma's wife and daughters were too independent minded, too reluctant to bear the burden of the "First Family." They are acutely aware of their proximity to power, They are wary of the once honorific title, "First Family."

Closer examination however reveals that it is not often in politics that those close to power deliberately insulate themselves from power. Take Chou Mei-ching for example, It is hard to find the right word to describe her current activities. One could say she is "stumping." But actually she is merely greeting ordinary people in rural regions, in her capacity as a private citizen. All she does is bow deeply and smile aimiably. She has clearly established an ineffable emotional connection between herself and the public.

Chou Mei-ching's unique style is rooted in her independence and self-sufficiency. It does not emanate from her halo as "First Lady." Chou Mei-ching has made many public appearances lately. The excitement people feel when they see her is palpable. They sense her extraordinary charisma. This the result of energy accumulated during the hundreds of times she did not appear in public beginning three years ago. She regularly and quietly participates in many charitable activiites. She has no desire to make headlines. She is happy to live in the hearts of those whom she has been able to help. She has no need for an extravagant wardrobe to show off her status. Her austerity and sincerity are her greatest assets.

When Su Jia-chyuan's wife scandalized society yet again, Su Jia-chyuan said her conduct "failed to meet society's expectations." But as soon as he finished his statement, he said he hoped for a "high-minded election campaign that returns to policy debate and that lets everyone to know: where's the beef?" What kind of apology is this? What kind of soul-searching is this? Su Jia-chyuan and his wife have repeatedly exposed their corruption and decadence, How can their conduct possibly "meet society's expectations?" Are we to understand that they meet the DPP's expectations? Are we to understand that they meet Tsai Ing-wen's expectations? Never mind that Su Jia-chyuan has no idea where the beef is. Do voters really expect only beef? Do they really not expect their candidate to demonstrate character and conscience?

Chou Mei-ching often wears a slight frown. She appears to be thinking hard while saying litlle. Compare her demeanor to Hung Heng-chu's drunken laughter during the male strippers' performance. This truly is a case of "one Taiwan, two different worlds." The poet Yu Kuang-chung asked: "Does the public on Taiwan really want a new First Lady?" If so, whom? Do they really want Hung Heng-chu instead of Chou Mei-ching?

「台灣人民要換第一夫人嗎？」
【聯合報╱社論】
2011.12.09 02:33 am

蘇嘉全夫人洪恆珠參加有猛男助興的宴會，猥褻艷舞之影片曝光，被形容為如「酒池肉林」。反觀正在中南部走鄉拜鎮的第一夫人周美青，一身便衣輕車簡行，樸素低調。兩相比較，兩人的形象構成了對比分明的反差。

那場宴會舉辦時，洪恆珠是屏東戶政事務所主任，更是縣長夫人；她參與這種猛男及第三性公關助興狂歡的場合，於公於私恐怕都極不合宜。在一般民眾的印象，也許以為這類放浪形骸的宴會，只是近年來一些北部暴發戶及另類社交場合的「非典型」餘興；誰料，竟然早在九年前就出現在台灣尾縣長夫人現身的「上流社會」之中。民進黨一直高唱縮小「南北差距」，還真是成果斐然。

民進黨常譏稱國民黨是「資產階級」政黨，並自詡為「弱勢代言人」；但在政治黑幕背後，這場「猛男脫褲趴」顯示，屏東縣長夫人的交遊居然呈現這般駭人的場景，玩的是如此靡爛的遊戲，真是何其諷刺！

民進黨近日推出的「破紀錄」打馬文宣，猛批馬政府任內「貧富差距」的現象；但從洪恆珠之猛男宴中的聲色光影看來，我們不知道民進黨還有何顏面指責他人？那個酒池肉林，不正是綠色官場蛇鼠一窩的寫實嗎？

民進黨可以裝作看不見蘇嘉全的豪宅，可以裝作看不見洪恆珠從警官搖身變成屏東農業生技園區副主任的詭異升遷；但是，它還能裝作看不見洪恆珠即將成為中華民國第一夫人的政治悲劇可能上演嗎？一個坐輪椅的吳淑珍，都能把總統官邸變成財團、貴婦絡繹於途的獻金基地；那麼，以洪恆珠連珠炮一般爆開的醜行惡跡，一旦蘇嘉全當選副總統，他的官邸將引發國人怎樣的想像？

陳水扁的「玉山官邸」，在馬英九更名為「中興寓所」入駐之後，幾乎讓人忘了它的存在。這其實是件憾事，如果馬總統夫婦願費心營造，應可賦與中興寓所一種新的「第一家庭」形象，洗去陳水扁家族的貪腐豪奢、假公濟私，塑造正派、不庸俗、高而不貴的另類神采；但是，或許馬家妻女都太過自主，不願負荷「第一家族」的沉重頭銜，再加上她們極端有意識地與權力保持距離，使得這張原本絕佳的「第一家庭牌」未能善用。

但深一層看，接近權力而刻意保持「絕緣」，其實是難得的政治境界。以周美青為例，我們很難找到適當的詞句形容她正在進行活動；說她是「助選」，她其實只是以「個人身分」在鄉間向市井百姓問候；能把拜會活動化約到只剩鞠躬、微笑的地步，可見她與民眾之間已經建立了一種一切盡在不言中的相知與相惜。

這種奇特的「周式風格」，最重要的支撐力量應是她個人的「自主」和「自足」，而非來自「總統夫人」的光環加持。周美青這幾天露面，從見到她的民眾那種雀躍與興奮的表情，可以感到她確有不平常的感染力；這其實是她三年來幾百次「未曝光」的行程累積出來的動能。她經常不動聲色地參與種種關懷社會的活動，她不要登上報紙，卻願意活在與她互動者的心深處。她不用華服寶石來堆砌自己的威儀，樸素和誠懇就是她最大的能量。

夫人再次出包，蘇嘉全稱「不符社會期待」而道歉，但言畢卻立即轉向，竟謂「要有一場高格調的選戰，應回歸政策辯論，讓大家知道政策牛肉在哪裡」。這是什麼道歉？這是什麼反省？蘇嘉全夫婦這一陣子出的醜，豈僅是「不符社會期待」，難道能「符合」民進黨的「期待」？「符合」蔡英文的「期待」？何況，莫說蘇嘉全的政策牛肉不知何在，但難道只要牛肉，而不要品德與廉恥？

周美青經常輕鎖眉心，顯得思深而惜言；這與洪恆珠在猛男秀上笑得花枝亂顫的模樣，真是「一個台灣／兩個世界」。詩人余光中問：「台灣人民要換第一夫人嗎？」誰換誰？是要將周美青換洪恆珠嗎？