Hung Hsiu-chu is Resuming Her Unorthodox Campaign

Hung Hsiu-chu is Resuming Her Unorthodox Campaign
China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
September 7, 2015

Executive Summary: Hung Hsiu-chu has ended her self-imposed isolation. She has issued a "reflection and commitment" proclamation, reiterating her commitment to her presidential campaign. Hung Hsiu-chu's candid, straightforward, unpretentious and bold spirit is back, with a vengeance. Hung has vowed that her campaign will effect three changes. It will change the social climate, such that virtue will once again reign supreme. It will change the Kuomintang, such that it will win back the public trust. It will change the nation, such that it will get back on track and resume its former glory.

Full Text Below:

Hung Hsiu-chu has ended her self-imposed isolation. She has issued a "reflection and commitment" proclamation, reiterating her commitment to her presidential campaign. Hung Hsiu-chu's candid, straightforward, unpretentious and bold spirit is back, with a vengeance. Hung has vowed that her campaign will effect three changes. It will change the social climate, such that virtue will once again reign supreme. It will change the Kuomintang, such that it will win back the public trust. It will change the nation, such that it will get back on track and resume its former glory.

Hung Hsiu-chu excoriated Taiwan politicians for their lack of integrity. She zeroed in on the problem without equivocation. Taiwan is sick, she declared. “It is sick not because of policy, but because of politics, and even more because of those who take up politics." She said her three changes cannot be implemented by the usual changes in public policy. If Sun Yun-suan and Li Kuo-ting were alive today, they could not implement their policies. Hung said these changes must begin in our hearts.

Chinese culture has long cautioned that without integrity and sincerity one cannot "govern a nation and maintain peace under heaven." Phoniness and insincerity have become the norm among Taiwan politicians. Vulgarity has become politically correct. Hypocrisy has become falsely equated with integrity. Trickery has become falsely equated with abilty. Equivocation has become falsely equated tolerance. Narcissism has become falsely equated with self-respect. Obstinacy has become falsely equated with constancy. Under these circumstances, how can one possibly look forward to sound public policy? How can sound public policy possibly be implemented? Therefore Hung urges us to begin with ourselves. She urges political parties to lay down their arms and wage an election campaign rather than an election battle. She declared her willingness to personally meet with Tsai Ing-wen to discuss the future of the nation, to ensure that rational thought and mob passion determines the course of politics on Taiwan.

Chinese culture has long taught that peace is to be treasured and that failure to advance amounts to falling behind. It has taught us not to view the sky from the bottom of a well and to refrain from ego inflation. When dealing with cross-Strait relations, we must refrain from opposing or hating Mainland China. We must refrain from covert or overt struggles. We must refrain from covert or overt foot dragging. Struggles that reject one China and foot dragging that rejects One China, Different Interpretations will not enable us to muddle through. We will merely become frogs boiled alive. Therefore Hung Hsiu-chu advocates political dialogue with the Mainland and the signing of a peace agreement. Only that will make us a more attractive environment for investment, enable the younger generation to grow, and allow us to create the added value the world wants and expects from Taiwan.

Chinese culture tells us that partisanship, disunity, and discord means the dissolution of any organization. The KMT suffered a defeat in the nine in one elections. But it has made no changes in its party line or organizational structure. Instead, it has chosen as party chairman an individual unwilling to leap into the fire pit, and only willing to serve as party chairman for one year. It has adopted One China, Different Interpretations as its permanent stance. President Ma is jealously guarding his precious "legacy", and is determined to prevent anyone, including presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu, from undermining it. Supporters of the Legislative Yuan Speaker seek to alter party rules, enabling him to cling to power. They persist in floating rumors about a ticket with someone else as president, and Hung demoted to vice president. How can a KMT such as this win the support of the people? No wonder Hung Hsiu-chu addressed this matter in her "reflection and commitment" speech. As Hung noted, "Despite its nine in one election defeat, the party has not engaged in soul-searching convincing enough to move the public. Therefore I hope to address the important or controversial issues in open debate, or discuss ways in which we can work together to formulate a clear policy path, and let people know why they should support this party."

As a candidate, Hung Hsiu-chu hopes to make three changes. To do so, she must shatter three illusions. She must shatter Taiwan's political deceit. Otherwise the public will continue to be manipulated by sleazy politicians. She must shatter Taiwan's populism. Otherwise the public will continue to value party affiliation over truth. She must shatter social convention. Otherwise the public will remain mired in its "insular mindset". The public must awaken to the truth about cross-Strait relations. Otherwise it will not understand the need for peace.

Hung Hsiu-chu wants to change Taiwan. But in order to do so, she must first engage in creative destruction. She must take the lead in changing the way election campaigns are conducted. She must stand on a soapbox, take to the streets, and let people know why Taiwan is sick. She must let supporters know that she is not under Kuomintang control, that the KMT supports her proposals, and is willing to debate its policy path. She must boldly announce that she intends to sign a peace agreement, in order to ensure cross-Strait peace, abide by the constitution, and achieve "separate rule without political separatism".

Hung is waging an unorthodox election campaign.  She does not depend on elaborate rallies wherever she goes. She does not depend on party princes or machine politics. She does not depend on shaking hands, but on touching hearts. Following her self-imposed silence, her supporters are waiting to see. Will the protagonist in the coming election be the KMT's Hung Hsiu-chu, or Hung Hsiu-chu's KMT? Are the KMT elders willing to defer to Hung Hsiu-chu? Are they willing to let her speak the truth? Will they demand that she be a "good girl"? This election will determine whether an unorthodox election campaign is feasible. Hung must summon up Taiwan's basic virtues. She must rally those willing to change Taiwan's essence. Only then will Hung Hsiu-chu stand a chance of winning the election, Only then can a long benighted Taiwan emerge once again into the light.

洪秀柱站上肥皂箱 重回非典選戰

2015年09月07日中國時報

洪秀柱結束閉關，發表《反省與承擔》聲明，重申她參選的承擔，直言、率真、平凡、但大氣魄的洪秀柱回來了。她承諾，自己的參選將為台灣帶來三個改變：帶動社會風氣的改變，讓良善的價值重新成為最高標準；帶來國民黨的改變，讓人民對它再重拾信任；帶給國家改變，讓國家回到正確的道路，再次奮起。

聲明中，洪秀柱對於台灣政治人物的不真誠，有著嚴厲的批判。她直指核心地說，台灣病了，「病因不在政策，而在政治，更在我們這些從事政治的人」。她表示，這三個改變都不是一般公共政策可以解決，即使是孫運璿、李國鼎今日在世，也無法落實政策。要做這些改變必須從最底層的「心」開始。

中華文化很早就告誡我們，不能「誠意、正心」焉能「治國、平天下」。當虛假的不真誠，成為台灣政治人物的風氣時，當媚俗的「政治正確」才是政治正確時，當真誠等同於偽善、質樸等同於狹隘、能力等同於權謀、包容等同於含混、自重等同於自戀、堅定等同於固執時，我們又能期待什麼好的公共政策？又能落實什麼好的公共政策？因此她主張從自己做起，希望政黨能夠「放下屠刀」，共同進行一場理性的「選舉」，而非是殺戮的「選戰」，她願意親自前往拜訪蔡英文，並共同切磋辯證國家未來應有的道路與方向，讓理性而非民粹重新主導台灣的政治。

中華文化也很早告訴我們，「和為貴」與「不進則退」的道理，更告訴我們不要「井底窺天」、「夜郎自大」。我們今日在處理兩岸關係時，不是「反中」、就是「仇中」，不是「明鬥」就是「暗鬥」；不是選擇「明拖」，就是「暗拖」，或者「不得不拖」。這種以「拒絕一中」為核心的「鬥」與「一中各表」為精神的「拖」，不是讓台灣繼續模模糊糊的坐困愁城，就是像溫水煮青蛙似的坐以待斃。因此，洪秀柱主張要積極地與大陸進行政治對話，簽署和平協定，以為台灣「創造和平」，如此才能真正改善我們的投資環境，同時也為青年朋友開創更開闊的發展空間，更為台灣創造被世界需要的價值。

中華文化也告訴我們，「黨同伐異」、「一盤散沙」、「離心離德」是任何組織瓦解的開始。今日的國民黨在九合一敗選以後，沒有任何路線的調整及黨內文化與組織的反省，卻選出了一個拒絕跳火坑、並只願意做1年的黨主席；還有一個把「一中各表」視為其歷史定位、政治遺產的馬總統，堅決不容許任何人，包括參選人洪秀柱丟掉他的定位與遺產。也看到了一個立法院長的支持者，仍舊期盼修改黨規，得以繼續延續其政治生命，還看到不斷放話「○洪配」的黨內人士。這樣的國民黨如何還能得到人民的支持？難怪洪秀柱在《反省與承擔》文中說：「從九合一敗選後，本黨的檢討似乎並未能感動社會，因此我也非常希望在必要的或有爭議性的重要議題上，以開放方式進行辯論或討論，大家一起把政策路線講清楚，讓人民清楚知道為何要支持本黨」。

洪秀柱參選所期待的三個改變，所必須仰賴的基礎，就是一個「破」字，不破台灣政治的不真誠，台灣的社會繼續會遭政客們翻雲覆雨；不破台灣的民粹，「只問立場，不問是非」的社會氛圍不會改變；不破台灣的「逃避」島國心態，台灣不會認清兩岸真相，人民不會了解「創造和平」的必要。

洪秀柱想要改變台灣，必須要大破才能大立，她必須要自己帶頭改變選舉文化，她必須站上肥皂箱，走上街頭，告訴人民台灣病了的原因；她必須要讓支持者知道，她沒有被國民黨裹脅，國民黨願意支持她的主張，進行路線與政策的大辯論；她必須勇敢地向人民說，為了兩岸和平，也為了遵守憲法，她堅決主張在「分治不分裂」的基礎上簽署和平協定。

這就是一個「非典型選舉」的心法。不是靠華麗的選舉場子，不是靠天王與派系，不是靠能握多少手，而是看能抓住多少心。在閉關以後，所有支持者都在看，未來選舉的主角，到底是國民黨的洪秀柱，還是洪秀柱的國民黨？國民黨的大老天王是否願意將主帥權、論述權交給洪秀柱？洪是否願意直言要求？還是繼續做個乖乖女？這將決定洪的非典型選舉能夠落實！只有能夠召喚台灣原有的良善價值，喚回每一個願意台灣從本質上改變的心，洪秀柱才有機會贏得選舉，台灣的多年暗室，也才能一燈即明。