Brickbats to Jade: Hung Hsiu-chu's Rise from Obscurity

Brickbats to Jade: Hung Hsiu-chu's Rise from Obscurity
United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
June 15, 2015

Executive Summary: Hung Hsiu-chu has received a high 46.2% public approval rating. She has overcome the 30% threshold required for a KMT primary candidate. Such high poll numbers prove that she is a credible candidate for the KMT in the 2016 presidential election. Those who have attempted to sabotage her candidacy no longer have any hope of success. Especially inspiring was the fact that Hung Hsiu-chu was pegged as a mere B Lister. Yet she exhibited more character than the party's A listers. She successfully reached the hearts and minds of grassroots blue camp supporters. Everyone in the KMT, from top to bottom, must now throw their support behind Hung Hsiu-chu and fight the mother of all battles.

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Hung Hsiu-chu has received a high 46.2% public approval rating. She has overcome the 30% threshold required for a KMT primary candidate. Such high poll numbers prove that she is a credible candidate for the KMT in the 2016 presidential election. Those who have attempted to sabotage her candidacy no longer have any hope of success. Especially inspiring was the fact that Hung Hsiu-chu was pegged as a mere B Lister. Yet she exhibited more character than the party's A listers. She successfully reached the hearts and minds of grassroots blue camp supporters. Everyone in the KMT, from top to bottom, must now throw their support behind Hung Hsiu-chu and fight the mother of all battles.

The initial concern was that Hung Hsiu-chu might just meet the low 30% threshold. Had that happened, schemers within her party would have claimed that "The green camp deliberately inflated her numbers", or that "Hung lacks the charisma to create a coattails effect in the Legislative Yuan elections". They would have invoked these and other justifications for their continued obstructionism. They would have demanded that the party abandon Hung Hsiu-chu and nominate another candidate. The July 19 Party Congress will officially announce the KMT presidential nominees. The party will endure an entire month of internal strife. It will be increasingly divided. Its election campaign will lose momentum. Now however, the sky has cleared and the sun has emerged. Hung Hsiu-chu's high poll numbers have effectively silenced any doubts about her support, within and without. Compare the numbers announced by three polling organizations. Even assuming the green camp maliciously inflated her numbers, their contribution was limited.

Last month Eric Chu's announcement that he would not run left observers stunned and frustrated. But in one short month, Hung Hsiu-chu went from dark horse to favorite daughter. She went from brickbat to jade. This was a huge surprise. Did Hung Hsiu-chu inspire enthusiasm within the blue camp? Or were supporters so disappointed in KMT leaders that they seized the initiative and came together to remedy the Kuomintang's contemptible cowardice, dishonesty, pretense, coyness, and refusal to change. Hung Hsiu-chu's supporters have given the KMT a kick in the pants and brought it into the modern era.

Hung Hsiu-chu was not a KMT star. She was a blade of grass that grew in the cracks between Kuomintang factions. She rose to Vice Premier and Deputy KMT Chairperson only because she lacked an obsession with power. She never belonged to any faction. She never posed a threat to others. As a result, she was able to survive between the cracks. With the DPP arrayed against the KMT full force, the men in the blue camp were afraid to do battle. In a fit of anger, Hung Hsiu-chu threw down the gauntlet. Initially she may have been pinch hitting. But lo and behold, the harder she fought,, the more resolute she became. Her words carried weight. Her character communicated conviction. The public rallied behind her. The reason was simple. Political fortunes took an unexpected turn. Hung Hsiu-chu crossed the threshold. She was no longer merely a blade of grass, but a towering oak.

Hung Hsiu-chu's meteoric rise is closely related to the KMT's lack of leadership for the past half year. The KMT was traumatized last year by its rout in the nine in one elections. Neither the party nor the government found the resolve to turn the tide. Instead, they hesitatated and procrastinated. They were indolent and passive. The Ma government and Mao cabinet remained dejected. Wang Jin-pyng initially said he "did not fell he was up to the task". Later he reversed himself and said "this is a duty I cannot shirk". The political calculation was obvious. Eric Chu held forth about transforming the party, but failed to act, and refused to lead the party into battle. He came across as all show and no go, leaving the party spinning its wheels. Blue camp supporters became fed up with these party and govenment leaders whose mouths were filled with empty talk but whose hearts were filled with selfish ambition. They switched their allegiance to Hung Hsiu-chu, a woman unafraid to speak her mind and to lead the charge. Therefore let us hope the KMT can avoid infighting and self-destruction.

Hung Hsiu-chu's primary candidacy came as a surprise, but a pleasant one. Internally, the KMT can now end the endless fighting between nativists and non-nativists, and launch an early counterattack. Also, given bottom-up popular support, the KMT can rid itself of its medieval candidate selection traditions. It can take advantage of the break in the chain to reform the party's beliefs and values. Externally, Hung Hsiu-chu was a victim of the white terror and an impoverished background. Contrast her with Tsai Ing-wen, the pampered princess of a wealthy industrial family. Hung is far more appealing and persuasive as a candidate. Her straight talk, her sense of justice, and her social background enable her to counterattack and refute any red-baiting by the DPP. Party princes Eric Chu, Wang Jin-pyng, and Wu Dun-yi would have difficulty matching her in this.

Hung Hsiu-chu's approval rating has shot through the roof. But Hung Hsiu-chu's conduct yesterday showed that none of this has gone to her head. Just the opposite. Her remarks showed greater modesty and self-introspection. She is clearly aware of her shortcomings. She is willing to humble herself to seek greater support and unity within the party. She must be wise in her choice of running mate. She must fill any gaps in her national policy platform. She must craft a more comprehensive political and economic policy framework. She must avoid extreme rhetoric. The KMT must back her 100%. This is a duty it cannot shirk. The DPP will of course ridicule the potential threat Hung Hsiu-chu poses. But blue camp voters have seized the initiative. They are gaining strength. Tsai Ing-wen's final mile to the presidency may not be the cakewalk she imagined it would be.

During the nine in one elections, the KMT lost many voters. KMT supporters have now returned, but with different mindsets. Does the Kuomintang understand where they are coming from?

破磚成玉：洪秀柱喚起了由下而上的奮起
2015-06-15聯合報

洪 秀柱以四六．二％的高支持度跨過三成防磚門檻。如此高的民調，顯示她代表國民黨出征二○一六總統大選的正當性已無可質疑，企圖扯後腿的人將不可能再有操作 的空間。最可貴的是，洪秀柱以B咖之姿奮起，不僅表現出超越A咖的氣度和質地，也成功帶動了藍營基層支持者的向心和士氣。至此，國民黨上下應別無懸念地一 致支持洪秀柱，打一場不同的絕地之戰。

原先令人擔心的是，洪秀柱若僅以剛過三成的民調低空掠過門檻，那樣的話，黨內野心人士勢必以「民調 遭綠營灌水」、「洪帶不動立委選情」等各種理由繼續杯葛，要求黨中央拋棄洪秀柱，另行徵召。如此一來，在七月十九日黨代表大會正式通過總統提名人選之前， 國民黨將會有一個月的內亂及忐忑期，黨愈發分裂，選情也愈發低迷。如今情勢撥雲見日，洪秀柱的高民調有效駁斥了黨內外對於其實力的質疑；比較三家民調數 字，就算有綠營惡意灌水，其影響似可不必太過重視。

從上月朱立倫等人宣布拒選留給外界的錯愕和失落，短短不到一個月，洪秀柱從一名不被期 待的人選「破磚而出」脫胎成了一塊美玉，這是一個莫大的驚奇。與其說是洪秀柱喚起了藍營群眾的熱情，不如說是許多支持者因為對國民黨領導者失望而主動靠 攏、凝聚，希望由下而上打破國民黨懦弱怯戰、欲拒還迎、惺惺作態、坐等徵召、不思改變等可鄙習氣；這點，對國民黨的現代化轉型，其實是重要的助力。

洪 秀柱並不是國民黨的明星級人物，她是從國民黨的派系勢力夾縫中冒出來的小草。之所以能晉升至副院長、副主席之職，主要是她一直以來並未對權勢表現出強烈的 欲望，亦從未結黨營派，因而未對其他人物構成威脅；也因此，反而能在夾縫地帶自由伸展。這次，在民進黨大軍壓境下，藍營一軍男性全部怯戰，洪秀柱憑著一股 義憤主動叫陣迎戰，或許原本有幾分「代打」、「墊檔」的意味；不料她愈戰愈勇，言之有物，格局宏大，民眾反而願意奉她為主將。原因無他，政治的神奇酵素已 經發作，而今跨過這道防磚界碑，洪秀柱不再是株小草，而變成了一棵大樹。

談洪秀柱的異軍突起，不能不與國民黨半年多來的無領導狀態交互對 照。去年九合一敗選後，國民黨受到重創，但不論在「黨」或「政」的體系都沒有拿出力挽狂瀾的決心與行動，反而陷在猶疑、觀望、怯怠的情緒中，消極以對。馬 政府和毛內閣的委靡，顯得可悲；王金平先稱「不足擔當重任」後又表態「義不容辭」，顯得陰謀算計；朱立倫奢談黨的改造卻缺乏行動又十足拒戰，顯得華而不 實，且陷黨於空轉。在藍營支持者的心情，與其繼續期待這些滿口空話、卻滿腹私心的黨政領導人，還不如寄望快人快語、勇往直前的「柱姐」領軍衝鋒；如此，國 民黨至少不必再經歷一次內鬥、撕裂的摧折。

從這個角度看，洪秀柱的出線雖然是初選制度的意外，卻也是個美麗的意外。對內，國民黨可以提前 結束本土派與非本土派沒完沒了的鬥爭輪迴，及早定於一尊展開反攻；同時，藉著由下而上的群眾支持力量，國民黨至少有機會擺脫抬轎、徵召、矯詞那一套封建文 化，藉由選舉的淬鍊提升黨的進步信念和價值。對外，洪秀柱的白色恐怖背景和貧苦成長出身，對照富家千金女的蔡英文，其實更具親和力和說服力；同時，她的正 義直言和豐厚社會歷練，也能對民進黨的攻擊抹紅展開直接而有效的反擊和對話，那恐怕將是朱王吳等人所難企及。

對於自己暴得高民意支持，洪 秀柱昨天並未表現得意忘形，反而語多謙退與反省。可見，她知道自己的不足，也願意放下身段，尋求黨內更大的支持和團結。除了必須慎選副手，她必須加緊補強 其治國理念的周延性，形塑更完整的政經架構，避免出現過度偏激及偏斜的言論；這點，國民黨須傾全力為其輔選，義不容辭。至於民進黨，雖然一向只以訕笑的態 度看待洪秀柱可能帶來的威脅，但是，只要想想藍軍選民主動集結的腳步，蔡英文的最後一哩恐怕未必是笑傲過關。

國民黨在九合一選舉失去了大量選民，如今支持者正以不同的方式回潮，國民黨聽得懂這些由下而上的聲音嗎？