Big Noise from the Little Island

January 14, 2012 might not seem like an important day in the west, but here in the "rogue province" we know as Taiwan it will mark the 13th-term presidential election. I'll let The Wall Street Journal and other news media outlets report on what this could mean for China/Taiwan relations, as Ma Ying-jeou and Tsai Ing-wen battle it out for what is expected to be quite the photo finish. Instead, I thought I would try and capture a bit of what it means for me here in Taiwan, and how the political atmosphere feels compared to the US.

I swear there is a scooter in the picture somewhere.

Firstly, the upcoming elections has meant loads of spam in my mailbox (the old fashion kind, that is). I'm sure candidates want to make sure that their message gets out to everyone. However, based on the fact that just about every piece of political spam in my apartment building now graces the floor of our first floor entryway, I would say that the general population (or at least everyone in my building) has already made up their mind on how they are going to cast their vote this Saturday. I guess it is better than having people go door to door, but that would at least give me a chance to practice some politically focused Mandarin!

While we don't get the door to door visits, I'm actually quite surprised at how willing people are to share their political views here. While I grew up being taught that politics were never a polite topic during meals, I've certainly had my fair share of politically conversations at my local breakfast shop. Not that I really have an opinion one way or another, but when I'm reading the newspaper I can't help but ask a few questions about what is being said by the candidates, and how the talking heads (yeah they have those here too) are spinning the facts. But things are all smiles when it comes to talking politics. The owner of the breakfast shop informed me that he and his brother don't speak because of political difference. Needless to say I didn't probe any further on that topic.

On the streets, you would have to be a fool to not know that something big was going on. Taipei, a city usually filled with more scooters than I ever thought possible, is now filled with the political equivalent of Hell's Angels--scooter gangs than have transferred their rides into rolling billboards for the candidate they support. Unlike the Angels, they've traded loud pipes for small speakers systems that blast the candidates' maxims for all to hear (and in three languages too). Since I live near a gas station, my apartment has been inundated with these sounds for months.

It doesn't stop there, as mini-trucks pick up the scooter slack, blaring the message even louder and longer, since they can't quite zip through traffic in the same reckless manner. In addition to these mobile ads, all the major roadways are graced with political flags and banner ads, as if the seeming disconcern for traffic lanes (or signaling before a lane change) weren't a big enough distraction while on the road.

For many, this weekend marks a trip back to their hometowns. Taiwan does not have an absentee-ballot system, so if you want to cast your vote it means you've got to head back to wherever "home" is on your resident IDs. This is a huge issue for many of my classmates who are still not done with finals and final reports for the semester. However, not wanting to miss their first chance to vote (the voting age in Taiwan is 20), they are getting even less sleep than before, trying to cram before the weekend. On an even bigger scale this also means that an estimated 180,000 overseas Taiwanese are returning home to cast their votes as well.

Reflecting back on my time in Taiwan around the 2008 election, it felt nothing like these past few weeks. Sure there were mini-trucks and flags, but it didn't feel like politics were out to get you, waiting in dark alleys or something. If that is any indication, I would say that the 14th is a huge day for Taiwan. The margins are close--way too close to call, and the general noise surrounding the streets (and the relentless mailbox spam) means these candidates are doing everything they can to get the votes. When the dust settles on the 15th, it will be interesting to see what this means for the upcoming future of Taiwan and cross-strait relations. At least one thing is certain: the streets will be a little quieter. Until Chinese New Year, anyway.

So many ways to be distracted on the road!