3

I read a sentence in Voice of America news:

Clinton's dominating victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary allows her to pivot towards a general-election campaign message.

What does pivot towards mean here? I know pivot means turn, but I still can't understand...

Improve this question
1

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
3

You have to understand a bit about US electoral politics. To oversimplify things a bit, there are only two political parties that can nominate a candidate likely to win the general (national) election -- the Republicans (call them the party of the right) and the Democrats (call them the party of the left). Each party selects its nominee in a series of electoral contests that take place in the individual states before the general election. For the most part, the voters in the Republican nominating contests are members of the Republican Party, and likewise for the Democrats. Thus to get the nomination of their parties, candidates must appeal to their own party voters. And the more hotly contested the nominating process becomes, the more the candidates strive to please their own party members. Thus, in a hotly-contested Republican race, Republican candidates voice a conservative message to their supporters. In a hotly-contested Democratic race, Democrats deliver a liberal message. But in the general election in which everyone eligible may vote regardless of party affiliation, a winning candidate has to move to the center.

Once a candidate is assured of winning the nomination, that candidate usually "pivots" (as you say, turns) toward that center position necessary to win the general election. The news writer felt that Clinton's victory in the South Carolina contest -- she beat her opponent, Sanders by 3:1 -- signaled that she had the nomination wrapped up. And thus she could turn toward the center.

Clinton's loss in the Michigan primary means that she can't turn just yet.

Improve this answer
1

now focus on

Clinton's dominating victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary allows her to now focus on a general-election campaign message.

I wouldn't call it figurative; abstract, perhaps.

Improve this answer
2
  • I inserted the figurative while I was improving the post; feel free, of course, to change it to something more apt if you see fit.
    – Kyle
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 7:18
  • @Kyle - I hadn't noticed, good edit. The more I read about "pivoting" in politics and begin to understand why we'd have to get into them to explain this, the more I start to wonder if my comment even holds up.
    – Mazura
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 7:45

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .