My #TaiwanElection reflection - 11 hours into my work day, this is finally a moment that I can slow down and reflect on what has happened to me and my dear #Taiwan over the last 12 hours. We witnessed yet another history, one that no one saw it coming 14 months ago.
November, 2018 was a tough moment for me, with democracy facing fresh new challenges and marriage equality experiencing serious setback. That was the moment when I had doubt UN #Taiwan’s democracy, because everything I believed in suddenly looks seriously endangered.
I think my own pessimism pushed me away from covering #Taiwan politics for a while, simply because I wasn't sure if I could live through another political metldown on my own part.
@iingwen ... that we witnessed tonight. By October, her lead in all the polls seem substantial eonugh for me to rest assured that #Taiwan will be in safe hands for at least four more years. But then came an unorthodox opponent like @hankuoyutw, who is nothing like the traditonal KMTers.
@iingwen @hankuoyutw Then the global rise of right wing populism also serves as a constant reminder that I should never take any number for granted, as many examples have shown how real people's opinion is often not reflected through polls but votes.
@iingwen @hankuoyutw When I attended my first Han rally in Kaohsiung three weeks ago, that energy and loyalty frightened me yet again. I feel their passion for Han and his ideology, and I imagined if I could even find a place for myself among them if he really became the president.
@iingwen @hankuoyutw I decided not to think too far ahead of myself, not to let my imagined fear overcome my decision-making ability, and instead, to jump right back into #Taiwan politics coverage at a time when the race was about to enter the final stage.
@iingwen @hankuoyutw This afternoon, when votes started to stream in, I stared on the huge video wall with my mind half excited yet half worried. And when news came that @iingwen had declared victory around 8 pm, I screamed in the cab just as I made my way towards the @DPPonline HQ.
@iingwen @hankuoyutw @DPPonline My dear #Taiwan, a motherland that I always have mixed feeling with, you've shown the world how we treasure, exercise and cherish democracy in a way that not many countries might be able to match under extremely tough circumstances.
@iingwen @hankuoyutw @DPPonline Internationally, we remain isolated and marginalized because of #China and its growing influence worldwide. We have to make friends under the table and form alliance under extremely vague names and terms. But we keep pushing and fighting.
@iingwen @hankuoyutw @DPPonline We not only preserved democracy, but we even championed it with the highest degree of integrity and self-control. We debate and we argue, but at the end of the night, we respect the result and people's voice. No one held grudges against the others, whereas the victor...
@iingwen @hankuoyutw @DPPonline ... didn't simply take the win for granted. In 24 years, we've had 7 successful democratic elections that had witnessed 3 transition of power. This year in particular, we survived the threat of right wing populism while many countries around the world fall victim to it.
@iingwen @hankuoyutw @DPPonline I hope we take pride in this special moment, and I hope the world cheer for us on this special occasion. As a Taiwanese, I'm extremely proud and grateful of this tiny yet always surprising island nation. Dear #Taiwan, January 11, 2020 will forever be a special day for you and me.
@iingwen @hankuoyutw @DPPonline Let us rejoice in this moment, but remember not to dwell on it for too long. More challenges lie ahead and we can't afford to be complacent just yet. #China will respond, I'm sure they will, so we need to be ready and stride on.
