Could we stop pushing Jokowi as if he just won Presidential Idol?

By Benni Yusriza Hasbiyalloh - Editorial Researcher The Jakarta Post Indonesia presidential election will be held in 2014, but the sound of candidacy had already begun. Aburizal Bakrie the Golkar Party leader seems to be the first candidate who dares speaking to the public about his candidacy. Followed by the brave move of Wiranto and Hary Tanoe (Hanura) which declared themselves to the public as president and the vice president candidates. Though, the official announcement only held by both Bakrie and Wiranto, the potential name for 2014 had been always be the morning gossip for the media. Prabowo Subianto, Megawati, Surya Paloh and Jusuf Kalla are the veteran that seems will be back in the presidential race. The incumbent party also making its big move by running the first convention that decided by the electability of the candidates. But after all, the shocking things about this candidacy is the rise of popularity and electability Joko Widodo (DKI Jakarta Governor) that makes him one of the potential candidate both president and the vice president. According to the surveys, Jokowi has won in several survey held by different institutions. First CSIS release that Jokowi take the first place with 28, 6%. He makes Prabowo and Aburizal Bakrie stay in second and third place. Next survey held by LIPI, Jokowi won over Prabowo with 22, 6 %. Indonesia Research Centre (IRC) also said Jokowi would collect 32% of vote if the election were take place today, again leaving Prabowo behind in second place with only 8,2% vote. The latest two opinion survey conducted by Pusat Data Bersatu (PDB) and Lingkar Survey Jakarta (LSJ) also make Jokowi at the topped list with 21.2% (PDB) and 18,1% (LSJ). This surveys phenomenon seems surprising yet ironical. How come he can make as such surprising breakthrough in Indonesian political circumstances? And do the public really need him now to lead a big nation? We cant deny that in the past few month since he crowned by the capital city governor, Jokowi has become the media darling for most Indonesian media especially TV Channels and the online news. Many opinions appreciate his effort in tackling Jakarta most problematic issue such as traffic jams and the social protection. But the problems then, with this all media darling things, weve been constructed to see Jokowi as the messiah that can save Indonesia to the better condition. This is will make us blurred to see objectively especially in presidential candidacy. In this context, its feels like were now running a presidential idol rather than finding the best leader to lead. The Presidential candidacy often looks as the market of leadership, which the candidates are the commodities. Now as we see, Jokowi has been constructed with the media darling things and the surveys that makes him adored. This condition can be explained by what Jean Baudrilard (French Philosophers and cultural theorist) said as the Simulacrum, conditions which something that replaces reality. In advance mode, simulacrum will make us difficult making differentiation between which one is the reality and which one is the constructed reality. These things often called as hyper reality.

From simulacrum view point, the media which a great role with the every good news of what Jokowis breakthrough policy (even in extreme situation the bad policy can wrapped as a good policy). In the context of president candidacy, this good news about Jokowi flavored by the high ranks electability and popularity surveys, absolutely will make the consumer society (refers to the TV viewer and news reader) worshipping and pushing him to run for candidacy. These circumstances worsen by the pragmatic view of electable party and candidate. A story that tell about probability for Aburizal Bakrie, Prabowo or other candidates run the election with Jokowi or the chance to proposed him as the next presidential candidate from their parties has never stopped ahead of the election event. If this situation remain continue, there will be a pathetic transition society in this democratic system. As we know, today democratic system will be depends on the strong civil society. But if this strong society contaminate with this kind of hyper reality, society will no longer have their objective mind. Their just ended with absolute worship of the commodity which presented to them. Though, theres a lot of opinion said that we have to let Jokowi proved himself as the Jakarta Governor, from now on we should let him work as the governor and try to stop pushing him to run in 2014 candidacy. Like Cak Nur (former Paramadina Univerty Rector) said once there was a question why he refuse presdiential candidacy after Soehartos fallen, Cak Nur just said, I have not yet sweated.