By: Adnan Lestaluhu *
Two contradictory campaign styles have been displayed in two pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin, who often presents a narrative of optimism, is faced with a pessimistic narrative from Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno. Prabowo-Sandi was attached to the politics of pessimism because a number of his statements sparked excitement during the campaign period. Statements such as ‘Look at Boyolali’, ‘Indonesia dissolves 2030’, ‘Indonesia is extinct’, until the latest about ‘Indonesia is the same level as Rwanda and Haiti’, is considered to only offer anxiety.
Unlike the Prabowo camp, the Jokowi-Ma’ruf pair offered a political optimism. The Jokowi-Ma’ruf camp also always straightened out the pessimism that had been issued by Prabowo’s camp. The pessimistic issue backfired itself for the Prabowo camp, because Jokowi’s camp was always able to disprove it with accurate and factual data. Some political observers predict that the narrative of the Prabowo-Sandi pessimistic campaign will not maximize the support of millennials. On the contrary, voters in this segment are more pleased with various positive, hopeful and realistic things that can be achieved, such as those issued by Jokowi.
Pessimistic narratives built by Prabowo’s camp have now reached an acute level. Bullets of lies, hoaxes and pessimism were fired repeatedly into the body of the Jokowi Government. Of the many hoaxes and slander directed at the government, there is one thing that a prospective leader must not have, which is pessimism. Pessimism is defined as a notion that thinks or views everything from its bad angle.
Prabowo often launched pessimistic statements about the current state of Indonesia. The goal is indeed to weaken the credibility of the government. But pessimism will not solve the problem either. Fortunately, Jokowi is always optimistic about the current situation in Indonesia. Because building Indonesia must begin with an optimistic attitude. That attitude is always emphasized by Jokowi to encourage all the people of Indonesia. Psychologically, Prabowo’s statement only made anxious and counterproductive attitude. This is inversely proportional to the government’s optimism in advancing Indonesia to the level of America and China.
Pessimistic attitudes only make Indonesia a place, even backwards. Thank God, Indonesia has a president who is always optimistic about the circumstances. Because the attitude is important so that Indonesia can rise and continue to struggle when it falls. Prabowo said that in 2030 Indonesia was disbanded. But Jokowi is optimistic that in 2030 Indonesia will become the 7th largest economy in the world. Evidently an optimistic attitude that has brought Indonesia into the top 5 Gold Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games with 30 gold medals.
Indonesia is currently led by a nation child who is full of aspirations for the progress of the nation. An optimistic leader that Indonesia’s future is very bright. Positive energy is now penetrating the joints of national life so that “we become the achievements of the Nation”. Indonesia as a developing country needs leaders who can instill optimism in their people. And one more thing, pessimists don’t deserve to be leaders, anywhere. A village head will certainly always be optimistic that his village can be advanced and independent, let alone a president.
*) Student of Pattimura University