As a PR professional, I conduct a lot of media and message training sessions, and for years I’ve taught clients how to “bridge” – or answer a question by shifting the focus to his/her key messages. Today, I heard a new term for this technique – “the pivot.”
This NPR story explains more about the pivot and why the American public generally accepts it. Give it a read before the next debate and you’ll hear each candidates responses in a whole new way.
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The “pivot” is new to me, too. “Bridge” is a term I have heard before. It is also used in music, when there is an instrumental part of a song, perhaps with some lyrics that don’t conform to the verse or chorus pattern. But usually in politics (where I used to spend too much time), we would refer to it simply as “staying on message” or “getting back to your message”. I know, not as snappy as “the pivot”.