“Kamala Harris’s VP…”

Are we sliding towards a shift in pivots?

The headline of this Guardian opinion piece about the choice for vice presidential nominee presents somewhat of a geometric conundrum:

Kamala Harris’s VP pick may signal a shift away from pivoting to the center

Let’s revisit applicable definitions of the terminology;

shift, transitive verb

To change the place, position, or direction of: MOVE

pivot, transitive verb

To rotate around a central axis: TURN

center, noun

A stationary origin from which something operates

The intent here was to imply a transformation of sorts. However, looking at the definitions and diagram above, it becomes unclear how this positional political rearrangement can be geometrically attained.

To be fair, there are – in the realm of home improvement – such things as sliding pivots, for example, shower doors, which fold while sliding.

Therefore, two questions arise:

• Was the headline software generated (as is typical) to confuse the Guardian's distinguished readership and to serve as clickbait?

• Can the author's metaphor only manifest with a proverbial shower curtain?

We will never know. Communication, it’s all in the toolbox.