Chen Shui-bian's election has been described by some as a great victory for the forces for reform in Taiwanese society. But in the analysis of Professor You Yi-lung of Soochow University's politics department, on closer inspection the DPP victory was in large part due to the split in the KMT vote caused by James Soong's independent candidacy, in what was something of a replay of Taipei City's first direct mayoral elections.
陳水扁的當選被認為是台灣民眾要求改革勢力的一大勝利，但細究民進黨此次勝選，東吳大學政治系教授游盈隆分析，主要得力宋楚瑜脫黨參選造成國民黨的分裂，彷彿第一屆台北民選市長的選情翻版。