Political Communication: A Case Study of Joko Widodo - Ma'ruf Amin Victory in the 2019 Indonesian Presidential Election

Abstract

Indonesia's fourth presidential and vice-presidential election will be held post-reform. Indonesia's success in carrying out direct elections by the people after the reform became a history for Indonesia and world democracy. As the only democratic country in the world with ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, Indonesia means every elite or candidate, both legislative and President, must understand the characteristics of the voters very well. So, sometimes the presidential candidates who will lead Indonesia need extra energy to understand the characteristics of the people in each region. Even in winning elections, each candidate has a different style and way of communicating politics, and they have a unique strategy in communicating. Symbolic communication is not infrequently used to get attention and get maximum votes when voting. However, every election is always coloured by the spread of hoax news and information to gain the people's attention and voice. In the 2019 presidential election, incumbent candidate Joko Widodo chose K.H Ma'ruf Amin as a companion and who was also considered appropriate for winning. This research uses qualitative methods and phenomenology as a tool of analysis; this article seeks to discuss and discover the communication style used by the Jokowi - Ma'ruf couple to win the 2019 presidential election.