It hardly seems like the sort of thing to make grown men cry: Taiwanese people counting votes by hand. But I saw it happen to one of my colleagues on election night. I also had a first-hand report from another friend who found himself tearing up at the sight. And I get teary, too, every time I see it. Here's why: Taiwanese vote counting is a beautiful ritual that goes right to … [Read more...] about The Weirdly-Emotional Experience of Watching Taiwanese People Counting Votes
Election News
Taiwan’s election and Beijing’s policy
I had some thoughts on how to interpret Taiwan's election results and their implications for the People's Republic of China and its policy, so I sent them to the Washington Post's Monkey Cage blog: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/01/22/what-taiwans-election-says-about-beijings-taiwan-policy/ … [Read more...] about Taiwan’s election and Beijing’s policy
Election Watching with Beyonce
On January 11, Taiwan held presidential and legislative elections. The incumbent president, Tsai Ing-wen, was reelected, and her party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held onto its majority in the legislature. In the days before and shortly after the election I linked up with a group of fellow Taiwan-watchers to see how the candidates were campaigning and to better … [Read more...] about Election Watching with Beyonce
Odds and Ends
Election season is here, and so is Christmas. … [Read more...] about Odds and Ends
Young Activists Chart a New Course for an Old Party
Less than 12 months ago, Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT), or Nationalist Party, seemed unstoppable. After losing the presidency and legislative majority in 2016, the party bounced back with a huge victory in the November 2018 local elections. With incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen's approval ratings in the basement, the KMT seemed on track to win back national power in January … [Read more...] about Young Activists Chart a New Course for an Old Party
