The warm-up phase of the Taipei mayoral race moved to a radio programme with a deep-blue flavour, where DPP candidate Puma Shen gradually softened the host's hostility over the course of the conversation — a positive signal for his campaign.

• Veteran media figure Wang Wei-chung interviewed Puma Shen, opening with a series of questions on the issues that most rankle the deep-blue camp, with a challenging edge.
• Shen did not hit back directly, instead lifting the disputes onto values shared by most residents of the city, defusing the blue camp's misconceptions about him.
• The mood shifted midway through the interview, when Wang for the first time reached out to pat his guest on the arm; nodding and attentive listening became noticeably more frequent in the second half.
• In the latter half the questions turned from challenges to probing for policy detail, with Wang voicing agreement in particular on the cultural and arts industries.
• "Peace of mind" emerged as a key phrase in the interview, and was used as a contrast with the controversies surrounding incumbent mayor Chiang Wan-an over childcare, schools and city administration.

Outlook: If Shen's way of communicating beyond the green camp's comfort zone can be replicated, it will have a bearing on how centrist and light-blue votes break in the Taipei mayoral race.