Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou probably never thought that his popularity could plummet to a level comparable to disgraced predecessor Chen Shui-bian, currently in jail for corruption.
Ma, once the darling of the media, was elected to office four years ago with a squeaky clean image and was re-elected in January on the back of pledges to ensure stability and prosperity for Taiwanese people.
But as he takes an oath of office today to begin his second term, he finds his popularity has slipped to a low of 20 per cent. One survey by the opposition shows his approval rating has hit 15 per cent - even lower than the 18 per cent once given to Chen.
His unpopularity is the result, analysts say, of several factors - poor crisis management, a lack of capable consultants, policy flip-flops, and most importantly a failure to improve public livelihood. Ma has been successful, however, in strengthening ties with the mainland, with several key tourism and investment pacts signed under his watch, leading to a reduction of tension across the Taiwan Strait.
'If he fails to improve, he will become a lame duck president soon,' said Hsu Yung-ming, political science professor at Soochow University in Taipei.
Ma was re-elected in January with 51.6 per cent of the popular vote, beating Dr Tsai Ing-wen, former chairwoman of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, who failed to convince voters she was able to keep cross-strait relations stable.