The Pendulum and the Midpoint: A Reflection on Political Balance

(Essay)

In my childhood home, there was a grandfather clock that hung on the wall in the kitchen. I would often eat my cornflakes and watch the pendulum as it swung effortlessly from side to side—left, right, right, left. Occasionally, it would become unbalanced and swing further to one side or the other, its rhythm disrupted. A small weight, attached to the pe…