Quick Take: Frozen Garlic & legislative election predictions

Today Frozen Garlic came out with a total home run of an analysis: This is the stuff that the Froze is absolutely brilliant at. Absolutely a must read. I’m always relieved when his analysis is in the ballpark of where mine is. I’ve been thinking a lot recently, and looking at the numbers, and […]
Quick Take: KMT takes on air pollution prior to election

It is highly unlikely that the timing is coincidental, and follows on the heels of seven KMT central Taiwan administration heads led by Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen earlier this month taking on state-owned Taipower over coal burning at the Taichung Power Plant. Many credit the combination of campaigning on air pollution as her primary issue […]
Quick Take: PFP vows to introduce ‘total nursing care’ policy

Nurses and caregivers and chronically underpaid and overworked, causing shortages and high turnover–a problem that will only get worse as the population ages. Being top of the PFP party list gives Eva Teng (滕西華) a shot at getting into the legislature and addressing the issue, if the PFP can cross the 5% threshold on the […]
Podcast version: Current Affairs Taiwan (CAT) 台灣時事 12.09.2019 Episode 24

Exciting times, the video has some new graphics and a new look! Our new website Report.tw is up, and being updated daily with politics and foreign affairs news on Taiwan that we’ve curated for you, plus original Quick Takes by Donovan, more content from Michael and more coming. Plus, we’re now at a new podcast […]
Quick Take: Is Han’s hardcore support base beginning to crumble?

Frozen Garlic, in his most recent post on checking out two Han Kuo-yu rallies, had this to say (be sure to read the entire piece here, it’s worth the read): “On the drive home I kept asking myself whether I should take these disappointing crowds seriously. I think it does matter. Han’s rise has been […]
Current Affairs Taiwan (CAT) 台灣時事 12.09.2019 Episode 24

Exciting times, the video has some new graphics and a new look! Our new website Report.tw is up, and being updated daily with politics and foreign affairs news on Taiwan that we’ve curated for you, plus original Quick Takes by Donovan, more content from Michael and more coming. Plus, we’re now at a new podcast […]
Donovan’s Quick Take: Hou You-yi relents and rallies with Han Kuo-yu

Until now, New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) of the KMT has been openly dismissive of presidential candidate Daniel Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) run for the presidency, stating he was too busy to attend Han’s campaign rallied or take up the post of campaign manager for New Taipei City because he claimed he was too busy […]
Donovan’s Quick Take: Han saying that Thais “look down on us” plays on old fears

Daniel Han Kuo-yu is playing on familiar but dated fears: From the Taipei Times: … The Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei in a statement on Monday last week said that the new rule also applies to British, Chinese and French passport holders, and would be extended to more nations. “They look down on […]
Reports: Ballot numbers picked for Taiwan Presidential tickets

This morning the Central Election Commission (CEC) held the drawing of lots for the numbers on the ballot for the presidential tickets. Scoring number one on the ballot was the People’s First Party (PFP) ticket of James Soong (宋楚瑜) and VP candidate Yu Hsiang-deng (余湘等). Number two on the ballot will be the Chinese Nationalist […]
Taiwan’s KMT taking out loans to pay salaries (Donovan’s quick take)

The KMT’s woes are continuing to mount on pretty much all fronts, largely due to an institutional culture and product of that culture and current party Chairman Wu Den-yih. The KMT brought massive wealth to Taiwan from China in the late 1940s, seized many assets that belonged to Japanese colonial government after their surrender, and […]