Where Do They Go From Here?

* Hou You-yi has just returned from his US trip. Ke Wen-je continues to travel around the island despite consecutive declines in recent polls. Terry Gou has launched the write-in campaign. The three candidates from the opposition appear headed in different directions, each preparing to run an independent race until next January.

* Though everyone knows without forming a combined ticket, none of them could compete individually and expect to win against DPP's William Lai. Despite heightened anxiety from the grassroots, none is taking concrete steps toward that goal.

* While the election is still 100-plus days away, each is preparing for the worse and hoping some "miraculous development" would lead them to the Promised Land. There is no indication that is imminent, or even likely.

* The most likely scenario is for the three of them to form two tickets in, the latest, November, with a "Ke-Gou" partnership most likely. Though the KMT welcomes a "Hou-Ke" union, it would mark the end of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) which Ke founded four years ago. Besides, Ke needs to go no further than reviewing the recent history of the People First Party's (PFP) often-rumored, but never realized, merger with the KMT. 

* Since Hou WILL NOT accept a VP role because the KMT "has 14 city mayors and county magistrates, along with 35 seats in the Legislative Yuan (LY)," the grand old party will not accept anything less than atop the ticket. Since Ke needs to make himself a more formidable candidate, joining forces with Gou wouldn't be a bad tactical move. However, whether Gou would accept the second spot on the ticket remains to be seen.