Final answer:
John McCain persuades his audience using emotional appeals (pathos) along with logical facts (logos) and credibility (ethos). These rhetorical devices aim to evoke feelings and trust in the audience while providing factual evidence to support his arguments.
Step-by-step explanation:
John McCain uses rhetorical devices to convince his audience by primarily utilizing emotional appeals, or pathos. Through this technique, McCain aims to connect with the audience's feelings, such as sympathy, fear, or patriotism, to support his argument. It is not uncommon for politicians and skilled writers, like Desmond mentioned in the provided reference, to mix different rhetorical strategies to persuade their audience effectively, combining facts and numbers (logos) with emotional elements (pathos).
Rhetorical strategies can also include questionable devices like ad hominem, bandwagon, or bait and switch, but these are generally recognized as unethical because they divert from logical reasoning. Instead, when done ethically, writers blend credible information, appeal to audience emotions, and establish an authoritative voice (ethos) to present a comprehensive argument that resonates with their audience.