Something for everyone?: Andalusian politicians and their use of persuasive language in appeals to the electorate

In this article we examine letters that three candidates for the office of Presidente of the Junta de Andalucía sent to voters in the final stages of the March 2000 elecciones autonómicas. Although part of the election ephemera, the letters reveal much about the candidates and their policies. Being direct appeals, the letters also focus on hopes, fears, ambitions and preoccupations shared by politicians and the electorate alike. The content of the letters provides some insights into each party’s perceptions of its own strengths and weaknesses while the candidates’ choice of language often reveals how they see their relationship with the electorate, their adversaries and political power. To this end, the skilful use of linguistic devices can often play a more important persuasive role than the content of the message itself, helping to increase the impact of texts such as these.