If you had asked, four weeks ago, who would win a landslide victory in the Legislative Council by-election, people on the street would have said: 'Anson Chan Fang On-sang'. Today, the answer would be very different. Mrs Chan's victory appears anything but certain. An opinion poll conducted by the University of Hong Kong last week indicated that the big lead she enjoyed over her rival, former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, has been trimmed to as low as 3 percentage points.
While the poll's validity could be a matter for debate, it nonetheless serves as an ominous sign about Mrs Chan's waning popularity. The interesting question is: why has the political wind shifted so quickly?
With hindsight, Mrs Chan's decision to stand might not have been such a savvy move. Labelled the 'conscience of Hong Kong' by the international media, she appeared to personify law, order and administrative prudence, as they had become established in the pre-handover years.
Above all, the former chief secretary seemed to represent those who refuse to succumb to pressure from Beijing. This image of a principled woman won her immense popularity. Yet, such political symbolism appears to have lost its lustre following her entry into the by-election race.
In a nutshell, Mrs Chan's fading fame underscores the downside of symbolic politics, whose appeal builds on abstract values and broad ideas while leaving the specifics in the shade. Most importantly, to become a symbolic figure, one has to distance oneself from tangible political rewards.
Mahatma Gandhi, the symbol of anti-colonialism, did not seek the honour of 'Father of the Nation' when he led India's independence movement. South African president, Nelson Mandela, stepped down once the nation was on its feet.
Thus, symbolic figures can be set apart from other politicians precisely because they have proved to be crusaders of a cause, not a prize.