Abstract
The 2024 Taiwanese Presidential Election is not just a critical geopolitical event, it also engages with themes of alternative candidacy, foreign policy, and affective polarization. At one point, a four-candidate race had emerged in a traditionally bipartisan election, with alternative candidates disrupting the dichotomy of Chinese vs. Taiwanese identity. Leveraging 911,510 posts and 101,600,047 engagements on social media, we analyze user discourse and engagement. First, we find traditional candidates derive more engagement on foreign policy and geopolitical issues, alternative candidates on domestic issues. Additionally, virality is generated by affective reasons, although in-group references generate more engagement than out-group references. Lastly, a puzzle is revealed where alternative candidates draw more homogeneous attention from national identity groups. Results suggest alternative candidacy can be generated by both positive and negative comparisons rooted in national identity.