The Final 30 Days

* Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections are roughly thirty days away. While there hasn't been any major shifts in poll standings of the three candidates, the KMT attempted to show intra-party unity on December 8 when former New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu accepted the appointment to become presidential nominee Han Kuo-yu's campaign chairperson. It was an undoubtedly a boost to Han's campaign amidst sluggish poll numbers. Indeed, anything that can steer the campaign back on track is welcome for Han and the KMT at this stage of the campaign.

* Han's poll standing has inched upward slightly in recent days following the controversy surrounding pro-DPP netizens who went after political rivals, ion and out of the DPP. Two were formally charged last week because of possible links to the suicide death of a Taiwanese diplomat in Osaka last year. DPP, of course, has been trying to distance itself from the incident, but damage is nevertheless done to Tsai's frontrunner position.

* With about a month to go, anything remains possible. However, it's going to be difficult, but not impossible, for Han to catch up. Naturally a lot of things will have to fall in place to make this race a real contest in the final thirty days. In addition, Han will have to stop making self-inflicted mistakes and restore credibility as a viable candidate. After a nine-month campaign, some perceptions may be difficult to overturn, but it's never too early to start.