ABSTRACT
After the GPT’s return to electoral politics, in the second half of the Pan era, it tried to the move up a level to become a relevant party that could really win seats. This involved changes to its electoral appeals and strategies, but also organisational reform. It attempted to turn the GPT into a professional social movement party. This chapter will look at both the contents of the GPT’s new electoral strategies and how best to explain its electoral performances in the 2010 local and 2012 national elections. These were equivalent to the elections analysed in Chapter 9, so it gives us a chance to evaluate the impact of the Pan reforms. This chapter was more challenging to write as there is more to explain. There were more serious candidates, for a start. As in the GPT’s initial period, there was variation in how candidates performed, such as at the city council level in 2010. In addition, there were individual high-profile candidate campaigns that need to be explained, such as Pan Han-sheng’s semi-alliance with the DPP in Taipei City Legislative District 7 in 2012. There was also significant change in the party’s issue appeals and campaign communication, as well as in the types of candidates representing the party. For instance, there was a noticeable rise in emphasis on youth and LGBT appeals, and these served to give the party a more diverse image. Thus, another challenge for this chapter is to address why we see these changes in the party’s issue appeals.
