About my 2000 election walloping... I was 23. Who hasn't been young before?
= )
Anyhow, I do seek your advice. All of you. Please help me marshal my thoughts.
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Pan-democrats fear free-market candidate could split their vote
The possible entry of a radical free-market advocate in a Legislative Council by-election for Hong Kong Island could take votes from the pan-democrats, who hope to jointly field a candidate to oppose their Beijing-loyalist rivals.
Sources in the pan-democratic camp said Andrew Shuen Pak-man, a financial columnist and a founder of the Lion Rock Institute think-tank, was planning to contest the seat left vacant by Ma Lik, the former chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, who died last week after suffering from colon cancer.
Mr Shuen said yesterday he would not rule out standing.
He claimed that if any free-market democrat joined the race, they would take more votes from former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, the expected candidate of the Beijing loyalists, rather than pan-democrat Cyd Ho Sau-lan.
There is no voice in Legco in support of a truly free-market democracy, and the eight months in office for the winner can be a probationary period to see whether the public wants such a voice, Mr Shuen said.
But pan-democrats were concerned that a maverick candidate might split their vote, handing a victory to the pro-Beijing camp.
Shuen might take up a critical share of our votes and present the seat to Regina Ip, a pan-democrat campaigner said.
Lee Wing-tat, of the Democratic Party, said other candidates were unavoidable, while Ronny Tong Ka-wah of the Civic Party hoped a free-market advocate would not affect the game plan.
Mr Shuen suffered a humiliating defeat when he contested the Legco election for Hong Kong Island in 2000, receiving only 1,132 votes or 0.43 per cent of ballots cast.
Mr Shuen's Lion Rock group has been a fierce critic of social welfare and high taxation and opposed state intervention in labour disputes.
The picture of me that SCMP selected.
I think the problem is your name is simply unknown in this race, compared to the other well known potential candidates. the only labels you have right now is "free market radical" and "the guy who suffered a humiliating defeat in 2000" (from a newspaper that likes you, evidenced by the picture it chose), who are regrettably not very enticing. Lastly, when there is only one seat open, it is unlikely that a third-party candidate can 混水摸魚 in the fog of war.
ReplyDeleteif you really want to get into the legco, perhaps you should start with some public offices (district council, NGO, various commissions) to build a profile?
Just my two cents.
Keep the eye on the end goal. Which is to ensure Hong Kong is governed by free market policies.
ReplyDeleteThe deciding factor as to whether I am going to run shall be decided by whether the free market agenda will be advanced.
For the free market, I am dispensable.
Also, I doubt very much that anyone could select a photo that would be sympathetic to me. hehehe
Let this election be issue based. Please.
So the possibility of winning is not a factor in you making a decision? Ok.
ReplyDeleteThen yes, because the whole of HK's press community would be devoted to this one race. You'd probably get much more attention in this by-election than in the regular ones.
ReplyDeleteThe possibility of advancing less government intervention which harms the very people they try to help is the deciding factor.
ReplyDeleteThe possibility of winning is not a factor in me making a decision.
If someone can force the front runners into a more free market stance, would be a victory for all of us.
i can see your intention behind this...put the free market debate on the agenda.
ReplyDeletewhile i am a full advocate of the free market, i don't think your participation in the election will really stir up discussion or attention to free market because people's attention will be on Ms.Ip and Ms.Ho. in any case, i admire your attempt if you decide to go for it. unfortunately i don't live on the Island...
i left u a comment before about forming a policial party. following that would be to try to take a few seats in Legco. it could take some years unless some serious debate surface (like the Article 23 saga helped propelled the Barristers).
u should be able to find friends in the Professional Commons as backbone for a party.
Good Luck.
It is great to see that you intend to enter contest to advance your platform of 'free market democracy'.
ReplyDeleteBut isnt there already a Liberal Party which holds a similar stance?
Everyone is unknown before he/she got famous/infamous.
ReplyDeleteYou actually got media exposure already.
The point is, why should they vote for you? Who is your targeted audience? How can we sure you are not "more of the same"?
As you all know, the Beijing-loyalist side have much better turn out rate, while the so called "pan-democratic" side are a bunch of "loose sands" and probably will lose to Miss Hitler Youth(Oops I mean Regina Ip).
I think if it ends up with Regina Ip vs Ho Sau-lan, you may as well join in the fray. When is the deadline?
Why don't you develop a detailed action plan for the next 8 months if you get elected...and promote it in your blog(or an election blog).
Better yet, make some youtube debate(with the pan-demo) a la Democrates/Repulican races.
The media sure will love it. Think about THAT!
I mean Republican...spelling mistakes pwns me!
ReplyDeletePak Man
ReplyDelete你D主要搶票competitors：民主黨及公民黨，都著西裝或套裝，target D 中產。所以你應該target lower end voters，例如維園亞伯（澄清：係住維園附近D uncle，唔係禮拜日去維園個班）。
形象當然唔係著西裝，應該係你既Apple Daily 造型，即係底衫加拖鞋，呢個look 既 market segment 係愛自己但冇乜錢個班，佔港島大約30%。
Think about it
you really think you can take the votes from 葉劉?
ReplyDeleteIf you think so, why not go ahead,
we already prepare to have a Legislator guest!
選民會先看兩樣:一是知名度, 二是往績, 其次才是所謂政綱.
ReplyDelete如果你參選, 相信一定可以拿多過1132票. 或者可以爭取毋須沒收按金. 不過勝出的機會就微Ｄ.
以你的自由派, 別妄想要拿基層的票, 一定鬥不過福利主義.
如果你以極右姿態出現, 仲強硬過葉劉,
主張嚴刑峻法, 說不定可以搶她一些票. 但嚴刑峻法好像又跟自由派不很吻合...
P.S.參選後, 你的專欄很可能要暫停, 甚至要暫停上班啊!
社民聯擺明係左派,而你就係大右派,兩者都旗幟鮮明,將其他面目糢糊,立場左搖右擺嘅香港土炮政客比下去.
ReplyDelete我希望今次補選,有多啲唔同立場嘅人出嚟參選,好過選舉比兩群街佬壟斷,焗我哋喺兩個爛蘋果中揀一個.
以下係我對你嘅潛在對手嘅簡評:
孽劉:莫非香港人真係咁善忘,咁快唔記得當年佢講過啲乜嘢?如果佢當選,係香港人嘅悲哀;用保皇黨嘅語言就係香港人民智未開,唔適宜普選!
甘x威:街佬一名,畀佢贏到,香港又多一個大區議員.
何EE:優雅地協助弱勢社群的政客...that's all.
勞醫生:真係睇唔通佢.究竟佢係唔係真心走左,我都好疑惑.如果社民聯搵人出選,毓民先係最佳人選.
肥仔,去馬啦!
READ THIS AND THINK DUDE!
ReplyDelete假如，孫柏文選立法會港島區補選…………