VISUAL RHETORIC OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE. AN ANALYSIS OF A POLITICIAN’S LOCAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN FOR THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Abstract

Political culture offers a community its values, attitudes, norms and ideals that help to the good functioning of its institutions, and it also offers the individuals a guidance through public and political life. The political discourse, as mean of communication, implies rhetoric, in order for the orator to convince their audience, and therefore obtain their votes. The rhetoric of the political discourse is of capital importance if we agree that the politician is an orator not only for the knowledge they presumably have, but also thanks to his persuasion skills. The orator actively builds an image for himself, the party that supports him and for mass-media, as the fourth power in  state. Behind this built image that the audience expects and decrypts, there is a language of signs and meanings. This research aims to present the political candidate who successfully used the rhetoric to reach a common code with his audience.