Can the White Vision Transcend Blue vs. Green Confrontation?

Can the White Vision Transcend Blue vs. Green Confrontation?
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
December 3, 2014

Executive Summary: Like it or not, the Wen-Je Ko phenomena garnered the lion’s share of attention during the recent election. He won 57% of the vote in the nation’s capital. He took every voting district. This local Taiwan election repeatedly made international news, with him as the focus. Wen-Je Ko offered a "white vision." Can he transcend blue vs. green confrontation in real life? Will he be a positive force? That remains to be seen. But it is something to hope for.

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Like it or not, the Wen-Je Ko phenomena garnered the lion’s share of attention during the recent election. He won 57% of the vote in the nation’s capital. He took every voting district. This local Taiwan election repeatedly made international news, with him as the focus. Wen-Je Ko offered a "white vision." Can he transcend blue vs. green confrontation in real life? Will he be a positive force? That remains to be seen. But it is something to hope for.

The Wen-Je Ko phenomenon has been compared to a tornado. If so, then Wen-Je Ko is a balloon. What really deserves attention is the unseen forces that support the balloon. Wen-Je Ko’s "white vision" was the result of a confluence of complex forces. One. Ko P’s record as a physician who treated many politicians overshadowed his political colors. Two. The Hung Chung-chiu incident and Sunflower Student Movement won him the support of social movements and younger voters. Three. Prolonged blue vs. green confrontation led to political and economic stagnation. People were fed up. Four. Citizens in the capital city were open-minded enough to give Ko’s "white experiment" a try. Five. With globalization as a catalyst. a backlash against political dynasties ensued, overriding traditional blue vs. green considerations. Together these factors enabled the white balloon to take flight.

Admittedly, this “white vision” hides a paradox. One. Under the "average Joe" image is a Wen-Je Ko who may have “white skin,” but is "green to the bone.” What is he really? Is he straightforward and ingenuous, or is he sinister and cunning? Two. All through the election campaign, Wen-Je Ko got a free pass, courtesy his "deification." But once he assumes office, will his god-like image be stripped away? Three. Ko loudly trumpeted "citizen participation." But is this something he can actually implement in real life?

In fact, Wen-Je Ko has already run into problems over the past two days, while recruiting members of his administration. For example, he announced his intention to make Lin Chin-wing, an advocate of urban renewal, deputy mayor. That provoked a wave of criticism from Wen Lin Yuan social movement activists and the Sunflower Student Movement. They consider Lin the hatchetman in the Tainan Railway eastward relocation plan and the Hsinchu Puyu Plan. Wen-Je Ko also decided to open up the Labor Bureau and the Environmental Protection Bureau to "I-VOTING," allowing netizens to go online and vote. This also provoked criticism from labor organizers and academics, who called it a "rotten idea." They say that insufficient information has been provided and that the trumpeted “citizen participation” simply will not work. DPP insiders also asked him to forsake this approach. They consider it inconsistent with taking personal political responsibility.

Wen-Je Ko's "citizen participation" initiative was certainly loudly promoted and attractively packaged. But when it came time for implementation, it inevitably collided with reality, and his pretty slogans became dead letters. Take the Selection Committee and the Director of the Bureau of Internet Balloting. Suppose a policy runs into trouble or the director’s views differ from the mayor’s? Who would assume responsibility? Wen-Je Ko’s charisma depends upon a large number of student movement and social movement activists. Yet his political appointments have already been questioned by these same student movement and social movement activists. Over time the relationship will inevitably sour, and the Wen-Je Ko legend will sour along with it.

That said, we still hold out hope for this "white vision." In fact, Wen-Je Ko is not the issue at all. The real issue is that people long for change. That yearning can tear down tiresome blue vs. green confrontation. At least it can help political parties on Taiwan move toward a more symbiotic, more mutually beneficial relationship. Wen-Je Ko overturned the traditional blue vs. green political arrangement in the capital city. He successfully created a “white zone.” That much is clear to all. But his influence extends deeper into the blue camp than the green camp.He must now ensure that the "white force" penetrates the green camp masses and politicians as well. That is probably a far greater challenge.

During the recent election, the KMT was traumatized. It paid a painful price. It still does not know how to clean up the mess. By contrast, all the DPP had to do was engage in obstructionism then wait for the ruling KMT to make a mistake. This enabled it to conquer the realm. But was this really a gift from heaven? Recall the first half of this year. The DPP found it almost impossible to field a candidate in the capital city mayoral election. Its plight became an embarrassment. It is now riding the currents of Wen-Je Ko’s "white vision." It has actually taken down all Taiwan. It is now preening, a winner. But it probably feels embarrassed as well. If the victors in counties and municipalities taken by the green camp immediately beging squabbling over the spoils, how will they look in the peoples’ eyes? How will the people feel?

Does the Wen-Je Ko phenomenon represent public rejection of blue vs. green confrontation in favor of a "white vision?" If it does, then this vision has successfully taken the first step. Next, Wen-Je Ko must "transcend blue vs. green" as he originally promised. He must urge the blue and green camps to reflect upon their values and behavior. This was the original intent of the "white force." The greatest danger is that Wen-Je Ko will forget his original intent amidst political consideration, or lose himself amidst the public adoration. In that happens, the Wen-Je Ko legend will be shattered sooner rather than later.

The white balloon took flight by virtue of a diverse confluence of forces. Wen-Je Ko’s responsibility is to keep the balloon afloat, to prevent it from falling because the wind has died out. He must not forget his “average Joe” promises. Ma Ying-jeou went from "box office magic" to " box office poison." That should serve as a stern warning.

白色憧憬能不能阻卻藍綠惡鬥？
【聯合報╱社論】
2014.12.03 01:58 am

無論喜不喜歡，柯文哲現象都是這次選舉最受矚目的風景。他除拿下首都五十七％的選票，橫掃所有行政區，台灣地方選舉幾度登上國際媒體版面也都是以他為焦點。柯文哲創造的「白色憧憬」，在現實上能否銷融藍綠的惡性對峙、帶來良性的刺激，值得期待，但實際作用則仍有待觀察。

如果把「柯文哲現象」比喻為一個上升氣旋，柯文哲好比一顆氣球，事實上，更值得探討的是支撐氣球升空的那個看不見的力量。柯文哲的「白色想像」能形成，是幾個主客觀條件與天時地利的結合：一，柯Ｐ的醫師專業及救治過許多政治人物的口碑，有效遮蓋了他的政治原色；二，連續的洪仲丘及太陽花事件，他因緣際會收編了公民運動的力量和年輕族群的支持；三，藍綠長年的對峙導致政經停滯，讓民眾忍無可忍；四，具開放精神的首都市民，願意接受「白色實驗」；五，全球化風潮中催化反中、反權貴氛圍，壓過傳統藍綠思維。這些因素加乘，讓這顆白色氣球高飛。

不可否認，在這個巨大的白色想像底下，其實也隱藏著幾個弔詭：其一，在「素人」包裝下「綠骨白皮」的柯文哲，究竟是天真率直或是陰險狡黠？其二，柯文哲在選戰期間豁免於一切質疑的「神化」現象，在正式執政後會不會剝落？其三，喊得震天價響的「公民參與」，在實際治理時能不能順利運轉？

事實上，這兩天柯文哲在組建市府團隊時，已遭到了若干挑戰。例如，他宣布要借重來推動都更的副市長人選林欽榮，即遭到文林苑社運人士和太陽花學運成員的批評，認為此人在台南鐵路東移徵收案及竹北璞玉計畫中扮演過「打手」角色。此外，柯文哲決定開放勞動局及環保局長以「I-VOTING」方式產生，讓網民登記投票，也遭工運團體和學界批評「爛透了」，認為資訊不足卻標榜公民參與根本行不通。不僅如此，民進黨內也傳出要求他放棄這種求才方式，認為不合責任政治的原理。

由此可見，柯文哲的「公民參與」倡議固然響亮迷人，但一落到執行層次，難免與現實發生扞格或碰撞；屆時，一些美好的誓言可能無法實現。例如，透過遴選委員及網路公民票選的局處長，若政策出了問題或者其意見與市長不同，誰該負責？再如，柯文哲魅力是靠著大批學社運人士的力挺所催生，但他的用人卻受到學社運界的質疑；久而久之雙方的關係必然磨損，柯文哲傳奇恐也會隨之掉漆。

無論如何，我們對這個「白色想像」仍抱持期待。重點其實不在柯文哲本身，而是希望這個民眾「渴望改變」的力量，能推倒令人厭倦的藍綠對峙，或至少使台灣政黨政治文化加進一些良性優質、共生互利的元素。從這點看，柯文哲推翻原本藍大於綠的首都基本盤，成功打開一個白色地帶，固是有目共睹的事實；然而，他的影響力滲透藍營的程度其實遠高於綠營。接下來，如何讓所謂「白色力量」也能穿透綠營群眾和政治人物，恐怕是他更大的挑戰。

國民黨在這次選舉遭到重創，付出慘痛的代價，至今仍不知如何收拾殘局。相對的，民進黨僅以「杯葛」一招，靠著執政者的錯誤，就贏得大片江山，恐怕也難謂天賜之福。回顧今年上半年，民進黨在首都幾乎推不出足堪一戰的人選，窘態畢露；如今乘著柯文哲打出的「白色憧憬」的氣流，竟然在全台攻城掠地，一副勝利者之姿，恐怕也會感到有些汗顏。而如果綠營新取得政權的縣市馬上展開一場權位大分贓，看在民眾眼裡，又將作何感想？

如果柯文哲現象代表了人民厭棄藍綠對峙的一種「白色想像」，那麼，這個憧憬已經成功跨出第一步。接下來，柯文哲必須將「超越藍綠」這個初衷逐一注入他的施政，並試圖召喚藍綠陣營在思想、價值和言行上自我反省，這才是「白色力量」進入政治的初始目的。最怕的是，柯文哲在紛亂的政治干擾中忘卻初衷，或在外界的掌聲中迷失自己；那樣的話，柯文哲神話破滅恐怕是遲早的事。

這顆白色氣球藉著各種力量之助益而升起，而柯文哲今天的責任是要維護這顆氣球，使它免於消風或下墜，他不能忘記自己的素人願望。馬英九如何從「超級吸票機」變成了「票房毒藥」，就是血淋淋的警惕。