Abstract

This article analyses the discourse of three prime ministers to explore how each leader identified the political self and constructed and promoted a particular relationship with the voter before the general elections. The outcome indicates the emergence of a new political communication style based on a partyconsumer. Whereas Aso's patronconsumer discourse of both Koizumi and Hatoyama demonstrates the entrepreneurial leadersconsumer model might have played a role in attracting a large number of unorganized voters to Koizumi in 2005 and in turn to Hatoyama in 2009