The Tibet factor

How many votes will the Tibet crackdown swing in tomorrow's elections in Taiwan? Presidential candidate Frank Hsieh is looking to Tibet to salvage a lagging campaign:

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party candidate Frank Hsieh, who has trailed in media polls, has pushed a message that to vote for the more China-friendly Nationalist Party candidate Ma Ying-jeou could make Taiwan "a second Tibet".

These voters, at least, seem a lot more concerned with the sagging economy, and Ma has been touting a potential "common market" with Beijing. We'll soon see whether Tibet has reminded voters that Chinese guns may accompany the butter.