The Taipei mayoral race is heating up, and it's good news for the DPP's Shen Po-yang, whose surging street crowds have rattled KMT rivals into insults that are now backfiring.

• Shen drew unusually large crowds while campaigning at Shipai and the Gongguan night market, sparking talk of a "Shen wave" in Taipei.
• KMT city councillors dismissed the supporters as paid part-timers and "cockroaches and rats," while incumbent mayor Chiang Wan-an said he wasn't there and couldn't comment.
• Online backlash was swift, with critics calling the remarks petty and mocking Chiang for dodging the question while the councillor stood beside him.
• DPP legislator Lin Chun-hsien said any politician should stay humble before such crowds, and that insulting voters shows ignorance of democracy.
• Lin claims the DPP's internal polls show Shen closing the gap with Chiang in every successive survey.

Outlook: Expect the KMT to escalate attacks as polls tighten, while Shen's camp bets on staying positive and out of mud-slinging to keep the momentum growing.