Article Sidebar

Submitted
September 27, 2024
Accepted
September 17, 2025
Published
October 28, 2025
Download
PDF
Statistic
Read Counter : 115 Download : 91

Main Article Content

Abstract

This study aims to analyse the defeat speeches of Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar following their loss in the 2024 Indonesian presidential election. Employing Aristotelian rhetorical theory, it examines six speeches delivered between February and March 2024 to identify the rhetorical patterns and strategies used. The findings indicate that these speeches were not merely formal acknowledgments of defeat but carefully crafted political strategies to sustain credibility, maintain political relevance, and frame the loss as part of an ongoing moral–democratic struggle. The sequential pattern—rejecting the results, criticising the process, and accepting with objections—enabled both leaders to navigate the political transition without losing support. The analysis also reveals that their rhetorical choices were influenced by Asian and Muslim cultural values, particularly collectivism, social harmony, and saving face. This study contributes to political communication scholarship and offers practical implications for reducing post-election polarization in culturally collectivist contexts.

Keywords

Anies Muhaimin defeat speech rhetorical analysis 2024 presidential election Communication Strategy

Article Details

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Mahfud Anshori

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Author Biography

Mahfud Anshori, Communication Department, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia

Communication Department, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
Scopus Author ID: 58481104300

How to Cite
Anshori, M. (2025). We reject then accept: The rhetoric of defeat in Anies-Muhaimin’s post-2024 presidential election. Jurnal Komunikasi, 19(3), 451–470. https://doi.org/10.20885/komunikasi.vol19.iss3.art3
Download Citation
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)
BibTeX
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

References

  1. Ahmed, Z. (2025). Challenges to anti-corruption efforts in South Asia: Political patronage as an obstacle to transparent governance in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Insights-Journal of Life and Social Sciences, 3(1), 79–85. https://doi.org/10.71000/czqt1814
  2. Bakar, H. A., & Nordin, M. Z. F. (2017). Intercultural communication: A Muslim perspective. In Global Perspectives on Intercultural Communication (pp. 66–70). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315716282-14
  3. Bedford, O. A. (2004). The individual experience of guilt and shame in Chinese culture. Culture & Psychology, 10(1), 29–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067X04040929
  4. Berenschot, W., Schulte Nordholt, H. G. C., & Bakker, L. (2017). Citizenship and democratization in Southeast Asia. In Social, Economic and Political Studies of the Middle East and Asia (Vol. 115). BRILL. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004329669
  5. Carmack, H. J., & DeGroot, J. M. (2018). Trauma metaphor use after Hillary Clinton’s loss in the 2016 presidential election. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 23(6), 468–483. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2018.1476076
  6. Cheng, R. H.-H., & Rossner, M. (2023). Unpacking shame and Confucian relationalism in Taiwanese restorative justice. Asian Journal of Criminology, 18(2), 209–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11417-022-09392-5
  7. Davoudi, S., Galland, D., & Stead, D. (2019). Reinventing planning and planners: Ideological decontestations and rhetorical appeals. Planning Theory, 19(1), 17–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473095219869386
  8. Dong, R., Wang, Y., Wei, C., Hou, X., Ju, K., Liang, Y., & Xi, J. (2023). Pursuing harmony and fulfilling responsibility: A qualitative study of the orientation to happiness (OTH) in Chinese culture. Behavioral Sciences, 13(11), 930. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13110930
  9. Esaiasson, P., Arnesen, S., & Werner, H. (2023). How to be gracious about political loss—The importance of good loser messages in policy controversies. Comparative Political Studies, 56(5), 599–624. https://doi.org/10.1177/00104140221109433
  10. Farhan, F. B., Revita, I., & Oktavianus, O. (2024). Persuasive languages on political billboard of the 2024 Indonesian general election in Padang City, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Cogent Arts and Humanities, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2024.2325679
  11. Forsberg, E. (2013). Do ethnic dominoes fall? Evaluating domino effects of granting territorial concessions to separatist groups. International Studies Quarterly, 57(2), 329–340. https://doi.org/10.1111/isqu.12006
  12. Foss, S. K. (2018). Rhetorical Criticism Exploration and Practice (4th ed.). Waveland Press, Inc.
  13. Giang, N., & Nhi, C. (2025). Corruption - A common social phenomenon in the Orient from the political culture perspective. Humanities and Social Sciences, 13(1), 58–66. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20251301.17
  14. Grapă, T. E., & Mogoș, A. A. (2023). The spectacle of ‘patriotic violence’ in Romania: Populist leader George Simion’s mediated performance. Media and Communication, 11(2), 148–162. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i2.6367
  15. Hall, J. (2021). In search of enemies: Donald Trump’s populist foreign policy rhetoric. Politics, 41(1), 48–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263395720935377
  16. Hamza, M. H., & Nordin, N. R. M. (2024). Pragmatic deviation of Grice’s cooperative principle in Trump’s political interview with the CNN News Channel. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 14(3), 883–892. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1403.31
  17. Hartono, R. (2016). An analysis of political rhetoric in Indonesia presidential election 2014. Islamika: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Keislaman, 14(2), 111–122. https://doi.org/10.32939/islamika.v14i2.25
  18. Herman, M., & As’ad, M. U. (2019). Local elections, local actors and political patronage networks (understanding involvement of coal mining bosses in the local elections in South Kalimantan Province). Iapa Proceedings Conference, 15(01), 228. https://doi.org/10.30589/proceedings.2018.197
  19. Ho, D., Fu, W., & Ng, S. (2004). Guilt, shame and embarrassment: Revelations of face and self. Culture & Psychology - CULT PSYCHOL, 10, 64–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067X04044166
  20. Howell, W. S. (1968). Aristotle and Horace on rhetoric and poetics. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 54(4), 325–339. https://doi.org/10.1080/00335636809382908
  21. Invernizzi, G. M., & Ting, M. M. (2024). Institutions and political restraint. American Journal of Political Science, 68(1), 58–71. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12771
  22. Jati, W. R. (2022). Polarization of Indonesian society during 2014–2020: Causes and its impacts toward democracy. Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Ilmu Politik, 26(2), 152–167. https://doi.org/10.22146/jsp.66057
  23. Jörke, D. (2014). Rhetoric as deliberation or manipulation? About Aristotle’s Rhetoric and its misuse in recent literature. Redescriptions: Political Thought, Conceptual History and Feminist Theory, 17(1), 68–85. https://doi.org/10.7227/R.17.1.4
  24. Kim, B. S. K., & Park, Y. S. (2015). Communication styles, cultural values, and counseling effectiveness with Asian Americans. Journal of Counseling & Development, 93(3), 269–279. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12025
  25. Kwong, B. K.-K. (2007). Patron-client politics in Hong Kong: A case study of the 2002 and 2005 chief executive elections. Journal of Contemporary China, 16(52), 389–415. https://doi.org/10.1080/10670560701314222
  26. Lim, L. L. (2009). The influences of harmony motives and implicit beliefs on conflict styles of the collectivist. International Journal of Psychology, 44(6), 401–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207590802512765
  27. Lord, C. (Ed.). (2013). Aristotle’s Politics / translated and with an introduction, notes, and glossary by Carnes Lord (2nd ed.). The University of Chicago Press.
  28. Lutzke, J., & Henggeler, M. F. (2009). The rhetorical triangle: Understanding and using logos, ethos, and pathos. University Writing Center, 2125. https://www.lsu.edu/hss/english/files/university_writing_files/item35402.pdf
  29. Mohamad, H. A. (2022). Analysis of rhetorical appeals to logos, ethos and pathos in ENL and ESL research abstracts. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 7(3), e001314. https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v7i3.1314
  30. Mshvenieradze, T. (2013). Logos, ethos and pathos in political discourse. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(11), 1939–1945. https://doi.org/10.4304/tpls.3.11.1939-1945
  31. Muhtadi, B. (2020). Electoral losers, democratic support and authoritarian nostalgia. In T. Power & E. Warburton (Eds.), Democracy in Indonesia (Issue November 2020, pp. 141–165). ISEAS Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1355/9789814881524-013
  32. Pagliawan, D. L., & Tamondong, R. D. B. (2025). Influence of colonialism on political practices and movements in post-colonial states. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 14(4), 104. https://doi.org/10.36941/ajis-2025-0061
  33. Pepinsky, T. B. (2024). Why Indonesia’s democracy is in danger. Journal of Democracy. https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusive/why-indonesias-democracy-is-in-danger/
  34. Ritter, K., & Howell, B. (2001). Ending the 2000 presidential election. American Behavioral Scientist, 44(12), 2314–2330. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027640121958348
  35. Robertson, S. J. (2024). The effect of concessions in debate: How giving ground can enhance persuasion. Argumentation and Advocacy, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511431.2024.2389746
  36. Scott, J. C. (1972). Patron-client politics and political change in Southeast Asia. American Political Science Review, 66(1), 91–113. https://doi.org/10.2307/1959280
  37. Setianto, W. A. (2023). Banality of political communication in Indonesian presidential election contestation. Jurnal ASPIKOM, 8(2), 343–356. https://doi.org/10.24329/aspikom.v8i2.1335
  38. Spiker, J. A. (2022). Rhetoric of optimism and promise of transformation: Concession speeches by U.S. presidential women candidates in 2020. In Democracy Disrupted (pp. 39–56). ABC-CLIO, LLC. https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216183976.ch-003
  39. Sujoko, A. (2021). Political rhetoric of East Java’s governor and deputy governor candidates. Jurnal ASPIKOM, 6(1), 122. https://doi.org/10.24329/aspikom.v6i1.847
  40. Tarish, A. H., Abdalhakeem, S. H., & Al Hasani, S. (2022). A critical discourse analysis of Donald Trump’s concession speech after the Capitol riots. The International Journal of Communication and Linguistic Studies, 21(1), 59–76. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-7882/CGP/v21i01/59-76
  41. Trystanto, T. (2023). Small governing coalition in Hong Kong and its impact on political freedom. Jurnal Sentris, 4(1), 46–60. https://doi.org/10.26593/sentris.v4i1.6346.46-60
  42. Vavilova, Z. E., & Galieva, A. M. (2023). In the face of a threat: A study of political discourse based on the speeches of American presidents. Media Linguistics, 10(4), 478–496. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu22.2023.403
  43. Virdiyanti, R. (2025). Mental health dynamics in the context of collectivist culture: A study of indigenous communities in Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmu Psikologi Dan Kesehatan (SIKONTAN), 3(3), 99–112. https://doi.org/10.47353/sikontan.v3i3.2779
  44. Zahra, L. (2008). RUU Pilpres hapus pidato kekalahan capres. Inilah.Com. https://www.inilah.com/ruu-pilpres-hapus-pidato-kekalahan-capres