蔡英文在2012 年總統大選中，首度以「客家妹做總統」、「第一女總統」等 訴求企圖吸收傳統較偏向國民黨的桃竹苗地區客家籍選民。為了評估蔡英文參選 對客家族群可能造成的影響，並探討族群、性別等因素是否能打破長期影響當地 選民的藍綠框架，本研究於2012 年對桃竹苗地區選民發出門卷，了解桃竹苗地 區客家選民的傳統政治立場、性別、族群等三項因素是否影響其對蔡英文客家身 分的評價。研究發現，影響客家人政治選擇的主要是族群的傳統政治立場，但是 參選人的族群背景仍是一個受到重視的因素。此外，客家人與其他族群對蔡英文 以客家身分參選的態度大不相同。桃竹苗地區民眾不分族群多同意「客家妹做總 統」的競選主張為選舉策略考量；但是多數客籍受訪者並不認為蔡英文的參選能 提升客家族群的社會地位，反倒是其餘族群對此持正面看法。在性別因素方面， 客家女性選民一方面較男性更不承認蔡英文參選有助提升客家人的地位，另一方面認為蔡英文以客家身分參選非僅選舉策略者也比男性多，「同性相斥」與「惺惺相惜」現象並存，顯示出客家女性選民的矛盾。

As the first Hakka female presidential candidate, Tsai Ying-wen, in her 2012 presidential campaign, attempted to fracture the long-term support the Kuomintang has received from the Hakka people in Northern Taiwan. To evaluate the effect of Tsai’s revelation of her ethnicity, we surveyed voter’ reactions in Hakka-populated areas in Northern Taiwan. The survey revealed that Hakka people and other ethnic groups had different interpretations of Tsai’s claim as the first potential Hakka female president. Tsai seemed to have accomplished her missions in part because compared with other ethnic groups, more Hakka people knew her ethnicity while most voters received it as a political maneuver. Aside from the high appraisal other ethnic groups gave Tsai’s proclamation of being the first Hakka female president, Hakka voters did not attach much importance to it. In addition, Hakka female voters seemed to be entangled with ethnic politics and gender identity, because more men admitted that Tsai’s campaign could promote the social status of the Hakka people, but more women treated the revelation of Tsai’s ethnicity as sincere. Meanwhile, Hakka female voters seemed to be both repulsed by and appreciative toward Tsai.