The fight over Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an's teenage son winning a city-funded exchange spot has turned into a liability for the DPP, with most poll respondents saying the attacks hurt rather than help.

• Chiang's eldest son was accepted into a Taipei education bureau exchange program, and the DPP questioned whether an American passport plus family connections got him in.
• Chiang said his son qualified on his own merit but gave up the city subsidy anyway, and asked opponents to come after him instead of a 15-year-old.
• An online poll of 15,000 people found 65% think the attacks cost the green camp votes, against 21% who think they help.
• Even some DPP lawmakers now worry the line of attack has gone too far, and Taipei candidate Puma Shen has tried to steer the fight back to policy.
• The row is spilling into the wider November 28 local elections, where the KMT–TPP alliance has already split in Hsinchu County.

Outlook: Expect the DPP to quietly drop the family angle and refocus on Chiang's record as the campaign enters its final stretch.