Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Pivoting the narrative

On the cliché watch front, I’ve been impressed at how quickly “pivot” has become a hot new word in Washington. It joins “narrative” on the policy wonk hit parade. I would write a paper called “Pivoting the Narrative,” if I only could think of something to say after the title. I don’t know where the ...

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
585270_090604_pivot2.jpg
585270_090604_pivot2.jpg

On the cliché watch front, I’ve been impressed at how quickly “pivot” has become a hot new word in Washington. It joins “narrative” on the policy wonk hit parade. I would write a paper called “Pivoting the Narrative,” if I only could think of something to say after the title.

I don’t know where the word has come from. I thought it might be basketball — Washington’s favorite new sport, now that it has a president who plays — but I also know that “pivot points” are significant in foreign exchange trading.

So, readers: What should a paper called “Pivoting the Narrative” be about?

jimmywayne22/Flickr

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

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