ABSTRACT
As contemporary politics has become increasingly centred in the media, the prominence of leaders in the political process has increased. Political parties and governments are now more strongly identified in terms of the individuals who lead them than ever before – Thatcher and Blair in Britain, Reagan and Clinton in the USA. This public visibility can certainly give a misleading impression of what goes on in politics and government. Nevertheless, no political analysis can ignore the political identity and personality of the leader; and identity and personality centrally involve language, rhetorical style.
