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Huang Chen-yu strode onto an outdoor stage in a southern Taiwanese county, whooping and hollering as she roused the crowd of 20,000 into a joyous frenzy to welcome a succession of politicians in matching jackets.

Taiwan is in the final days of its presidential election contest, and the big campaign rallies, with M.C.s like Ms. Huang, are boisterous, flashy spectacles as if a variety show and a disco crashed into a candidates town hall meeting.

At the high point of the rally, the Democratic Progressive Partys presidential candidate, Lai Ching-te, was introduced to the crowd in Chiayi, a county in southern Taiwan. Ms. Huang roared in Taiwanese, Frozen garlic!

The phrase dongsuan sounds like get elected and, yes, also like frozen garlic. Ms. Huang and another M.C. led the crowd of supporters, now on their feet, in a rapid-fire, call-and-response chant: Lai Ching-te! Frozen garlic! Lai Ching-te! Frozen garlic! Then they sped up: Lai Ching-te! Lai Ching-te! Lai Ching-te! Frozen garlic! Frozen garlic! Frozen garlic!

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Taiwan Democracy Is Loud and Proud - The New York Times