The level of someone’s intelligence can be seen in the way they graduate. The presidential or vice-presidential candidates in the 2024 election are not ordinary people. With various educational backgrounds, intellectual experiences, and political support, we have three vice-presidential candidates. Cak Imin, Gibran, and Mahfud MD are the candidates for the second leader of Indonesia after the President who will be tested for their intellectual capacity in the vice-presidential debate on Friday, December 22, 2023.
Negative and positive rumors have been built after the three of them were appointed as vice-presidential candidates. It is normal in the contest to win the sympathy of voters and determine their support. Among the three, Gibran’s name is predicted to make the debate full of speculation and tension.
It is difficult to imagine how Gibran can successfully convey his vision, mission, and opinions on topics such as the economy, finance, investment, taxes, trade, management of the state and regional budgets, infrastructure, and urban development. The main theme of the vice-presidential debate related to people’s economy and digital economy requires empirical experience in the world of bureaucracy and government.
Gibran’s experience as the mayor of Solo for 2 years cannot be called a track record when in fact Gibran has not finished with the concept of regional management policy. Will that unfinished experience be presented and offered as a role model at the national level? It is a heavy task for the whispering team and debate “coach” to guide what Gibran should and should not convey.
Another big issue is Gibran’s public speaking character, which is still below average. Fundamental mistakes in some terms and references, and the speed of digesting questions that can be said to be leading to confusion, have become public secrets that have been consumed by the public before. The 1-2 minute time format given to each vice-presidential candidate to convey responses, diplomacy, and ask and answer questions, becomes a great psychological pressure for Gibran when he is not ready to think and speak that briefly.
For Mahfud MD and Cak Imin, Gibran’s fundamental weakness is an important point to gain public sympathy. They are not even hesitant to do it by breaking Gibran’s argumentation, which tends to be normative for the standards of a candidate leader.
Cak Imin with his spicy style and Mahfud with the language of a lecturer giving a lecture to his students. The debate is predicted to be full of absurdity, speech blunders, and satirical criticism for the vice-presidential candidates who fail to synchronize the intended meaning in their head with what comes out of their mouth.
To borrow the words of Bang Karni Illyas: “If you are dancing and performing on stage, suddenly slip. Don’t blame the floor.”
Will Gibran then blame his debate stage? Or will he realize: Why should I be the vice-presidential candidate?
“Okay, let’s take a break for a moment while waiting for the debate tomorrow.”
