Political Rhetoric of President Joko Widodo Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

Politic figures usually tend to highly estimate verbal rhetoric and non-verbal symbols in delivering political messages to the public. A political character does not make a speech without consideration selecting words, using sentence form, inserting style and expression when he communicates in public space, whether by direct contact as well as mass media. It also happens to President of Indonesian Republic, Ir. Joko Widodo (Jokowi). By applying critical discourse analysis (CDA), it can be concluded that in each of his statement, in front of the covering journalists and communication forums towards the public, Jokowi tends to choose certain words and sentence forms in conveying ideas of program as well as giving reaction toward political, social events which direct to himself. In expressing successful subject matters, Jokowi always uses the active sentence, while for failing subject matters the chosen form is the passive sentence. Similar with previous presidents, Jokowi selects these sentence forms as political rhetoric to show his success as a president /leader of government and at once to cover his failure is revealing transformation programs which he promised in his early government with the Cabinet of Indonesia Hebat.

Keywords: political communication, political rhetoric, critical discourse analysis, active sentence, passive sentence