「夫人牌」與周美青現象──2012年總統大選之分析

President Candidate’s Wife in Election Campaign : An Analysis of Chow Mei-Ching

身為另一半的配偶，是候選人在選戰中的最佳分身，但長期以來並未受到足夠關注。本研究分析2012年大選「周美青現象」，發現國民黨這張「夫人牌」應該是成功的。儘管四大報對周美青的友善程度有別，仍有大量的正面新聞披露，而能加持尋求連任的馬英九總統。
本文研究指出，各報採用的新聞框架主要是周美青的個人特質面與擬社會互動面，所以呈現的多為她認真誠懇、低調樸素、與民互動、廣受歡迎、熱心公益。至於政治風格面則相對模糊，媒體較少披露其政治涉入，讓她仍能維持清新形象。值得注意的是，面對周美青的高人氣，媒體不便逆勢操作負面新聞，批評多以社論、投書方式呈現；而且也多為間接攻擊或同時帶有正面描述。正因候選人配偶的角色愈形重要，本文亦提出競選實務的建議。

In Taiwan’s election, candidates’wives play 3 different roles as good wife, surrogate, and campaign partner. Due to her great popularity, Chow Mei-ching, the first lady, was characterized a unique phenomenon during the 2012 Taiwan presidential election campaign. This study aimed to examine coverages of the 4 leading daily newspapers’frames to characterized Chow’s phenomenon. Findings suggested that the 4 dailys were generous to Chow with plenty of positive coverages in their selective reporting. Chow’s image was constructed mostly by adopting frames of“personal characteristics”and“para-social interaction,”while rarely by using frame of“political styles.”Therefore, Chow was sincere, low-profiled and simple, well-interacted with voters, popular, enthusiastic for public welfare, in coverages with her appearance. In contrast, her political involvement coverages, however, was rare. As complementary in news coverage for her husband President Ma Ying-jeou, who was running for his second term in this election, Chow was deemed by voters as the best relief pitcher. Since candidate’s spouse became a new focus of media attention, the role he/she played would be more critical in the practice of election campaign.