Ma Ying-jeou trashed

Here is the video footage of Ma Ying-jeou drunk at the KMT's Lunar New Year unity party hosted by the resurgent Lien Chan on Wednesday night.



In the first sequence (0 to 4 sec.) a female reporter fawningly asks Ma if he's had a lot to drink. Ma says that he hasn't--(meiyou la!) in a somewhat effeminate tone. The Taiwanese blogosphere and pro-green media have had a field day talking about Ma's gay lisp or niangniangqiang.

Around second 53, the TV station inserts Chinese to point out Ma's 'idiotic smiling' shaxiao. The following sequences of Ma pursing his lips minzui , sticking out his tongue, and making faces.

While there has been an unpleasant homophobic overtone to some of the editorializing and commentary on Ma's inebriated appearance, this bizarre attempt to show that he is just one of the guys does not jive with Ma's Mr. Clean image. More interesting though is how Lien Chan is back in the spotlight at a time when a serious power struggle appears to be underway within the KMT over the party chairmanship, legislative nominations, and the 2008 presidential nomination.

Ma has been rightly praised on this blog before for his ability to stay on message. But his problem may be that he can't stay on image.