The United States says all of the candidates are fine. Some in Taiwan, however, say they think Washington prefers Lien or Soong, especially the U.S. State Department and the White House, which prefer to avoid trouble with Beijing. All three front-runners have set forth moderate positions on relations with Beijing that differ very little from one another. Economy, crime and social changes are among the issues on the minds of Taiwan's voters Voters, as always, are concerned about the economy. But it is stable, and growth is satisfactory or better.
Crime is an issue.
So are labor, welfare, infrastructure, education and a host of other issues. Chen, Lien and Soong are running close in the polls, each with just over 20 percent. Soong and Chen lead, yet most people think that Lien will win because of the advantage of having the ruling party behind him. Whoever wins, the election will mark a transition from the Lee Teng-hui era. If Chen wins it will mean a different party rules Taiwan for the first time.