End of the Line for Taiwan’s Political Star?

It was a scenario devoutly to be hoped for come Taiwan’s March 2008 presidential election ‑ Kuomintang candidate Ma Ying-jeou winning comfortably and taking office as a savvy, cosmopolitan leader who ends the threat of war with China and refurbishes Taiwan’s relations with Washington.

Presumably, Washington, Beijing and a majority of the Taiwanese electo…