Then came the pre-election day assassination attempt. Photographs showed a red streak across President Chen's stomach, apparently from a glancing shot. He required 14 stitches but was soon back campaigning, as was his kneecapped vice presidential running mate. Confusion dominated media accounts: No one gave a definitive answer about the number of shooters and the number of bullets. (At first, only one bullet was found, leading to theories of a "magic bullet" deflecting off the vice president into the president.) No one knew whether the shooter (or shooters) was working for Beijng, or for gangsters who had placed big bets on the election -- or perhaps, the conspiracy theorists said, it was all a set-up to win Chen sympathy.

The tension brought out big election day crowds. The China Post reported that Buddhist monks in their robes, brides and grooms in their wedding gowns and suits, and aborigines dressed in their traditional attire all lined up to vote, with voter turnout exceeding 80 percent. When early returns showed Lien leading, tens of thousands of his supporters wore their campaign colors of blue and orange, and let out rousing cheers. But as President Chen took control, his adherents gathered in front of a backdrop displaying Chinese characters translated as "Heaven Blesses Taiwan." When government vote counters declared Chen the winner shortly after 9 p.m., his supporters let out a huge roar and sent fireworks soaring.

I come away from an Election Day visit to Taipei without any blinding foreign policy insights (yes, we should review all old alliances in the light of new, anti-terrorist realities), but with new curiosity about Taiwanese politics. And here's one small thought: Wow, am I glad that we in the United States have an electoral college, so that recounts don't require counting every vote in every state.