Pundits have once again looked directly at something harmless and concluded it has political energy.
This week’s object of fascination is a hedge trimmer said to be seen idling outside a strip mall, vibrating with the kind of confidence usually reserved for men in expensive loafers and unhelpful opinions.
According to the unofficial chatter, the trimmer is not merely trimming. It is, allegedly, ‘mobilising’.
Nobody has explained what this would involve, though rumours suggest leaflets, a keynote speech, and an extremely firm stance on overgrown corners.
The important thing, observers say, is that the machine has a presence about it. Whether that presence is civic leadership or a loose electrical problem remains unresolved, much like most modern discourse.