2010年台中市長選舉,國民黨在得票率上從2005年的60%大幅滑落至51%。在其長期佔有選舉優勢的原台中縣,更是輸給對手近一萬三千餘票。為了理解何以選民曾經在2005年支持胡志強,但是在本屆直轄市長選舉時支持敵對的民進黨候選人蘇嘉全,我們利用TEDS 2010C台中市長選舉的調查研究資料進行分析。分析結果顯示,除了中央與地方政府的施政不彰引起人民不滿,導致得票率滑落之外,台中縣市也呈現顯著的不同。由於胡志強與派系脫鉤並不倚賴派系的傳統動員機制,改以推銷個人形象為主的競選策略,不但給蘇嘉全在台中縣收割國民黨傳統支持者的機會,也使得民進黨得以拉近和國民黨之間得票率的差距。
In the 2010 Taichung Municipal Election, the KMT experienced a dramatic decline in its vote share (from 60% to 51%). In the original Taichung country, where the KMT had consistently enjoyed electoral advantages, it even lost 13000 votes to the DPP and almost risked the incumbent Jason Hu's reelection. To investigate why voters who used to vote for the KMT in 2005, but decided not to vote or even to switch to the opposite DPP, we incorporated the TEDS 2010C data with an ordered probit model. The analytical result not only demonstrates that the poor performance of the local and central KMT governments matter, but also shows significant differences in original Taichung Country and City. Instead of relying on personal mobilization and traditional social networks, the incumbent Hu promoted his personal traits and disentangled from the local faction. Such a campaign strategy provides the DPP a chance to reap traditional KMT voters in the Taichung country and to reduce the difference between KMT and DPP in vote shares.