If it weren¡¯t for the bodyguards swarming him, it¡¯d be easy to mistake Ko Wen-je for someone¡¯s socially awkward uncle and not a man who could soon be managing one of the world¡¯s most dangerous geopolitical flash points as Taiwan¡¯s next president.
The 64-year-old former trauma surgeon entered politics just a decade ago and is running as a third-party candidate in an election that¡¯s usually a race between the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Kuomintang. Ko has few aides, little money and admits he doesn¡¯t enjoy meeting people.
Yet he¡¯s proven surprisingly popular. A poll published by broadcaster TVBS in early September, less than five months before the election, had Ko in second place with 23% support. That¡¯s 7 percentage points behind Vice President Lai Ching-te and 4 points ahead of the KMT¡¯s Hou Yu-ih. Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of Foxconn Group who¡¯s running as an independent, trailed with 14%.
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