TPP Legislator Criticized for Belated Endorsement in New Taipei Mayoral Race

The political landscape in New Taipei City has seen a significant shift with the announcement of mayoral poll results, confirming the elimination of Huang Kuo-chang from the race. The Kuomintang's Li Ssu-chuan emerged victorious in the polls, a development that has stirred controversy and drawn sharp criticism towards members of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), particularly legislator Hsu Chung-hsin.

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Who are you asking to answer the phone now?

Hsu Chung-hsin finds himself at the center of a storm for his belated endorsement of Huang Kuo-chang. Critics, including Chang Yu-meng, chairman of the Taiwan Youth Generation Association for Common Good, point out that Hsu only began campaigning for Huang after the phone polling period had already ended. Chang sarcastically questioned the purpose of such an endorsement, asking, "Who are you asking to answer the phone now?" This timing has been interpreted as disingenuous and has fueled frustration among Huang's supporters, known as 'little grass.'

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If I were a 'little grass', I would definitely be so angry that I would go out and fight.

Chang Yu-meng further elaborated on the perceived insincerity, noting that Hsu's social media post advocating for Huang was made on the morning of April 29th, just hours before the poll results were to be announced. He highlighted that the polling period had spanned five days, from the previous Thursday to Monday, providing ample opportunity for earlier campaigning. The legislator's decision to wait until the last moment has led Chang to suggest that if he were a 'little grass' supporter, he would be "furious and ready to attack."

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Legislator Hsu Chung-hsin is hilarious. This gentleman pretended to help Huang Kuo-chang build momentum, posting on Facebook at 9:25 yesterday morning saying, 'Hsu Chung-hsin earnestly requests supporters to participate in the phone poll – Huang Kuo-chang.'

The TPP's internal dynamics are also under scrutiny, with Chang drawing parallels between Hsu's actions and those of a previous TPP figure, Li Chen-hsiu. The criticism suggests a pattern of questionable campaign strategies within the party, raising questions about the effectiveness and sincerity of their political maneuvers. For the TPP's 'little grass' base, such perceived missteps by party officials like Hsu Chung-hsin are particularly disheartening, leading to calls for accountability and potentially a re-evaluation of who should hold appointed positions within the party.

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The phone poll ran from last Thursday to this Monday (27th). You had five days, plenty of time to promote. This committee member Hsu Chung-hsin, who just got appointed as a non-regional legislator, insisted on promoting after the poll ended. Who were you asking to answer the phone?