Analisis Kekalahan Calon Partai Golkar dalam Pilkada Kabupaten Polewali Mandar Periode 2008-2013

This research aims to find out the strategy of political campaign and the factors influencing the defeat of regent/vice regent candidate proposed by Golkar Party. This study was a qualitative research. The data were obtained through direct observation and in-depth interview. The key and professional informants were determined by analysis approach. The results show that the campaign strategies applied by regent candidate proposed by Golkar Party are not optimal in terms of political communicators, political messages, political media, and electros. Meanwhile, the factors influencing the defeat the candidate are incumbent problems, supporting party, primodial, and direct district head election system that is implemented for the first time