The use of distractions in politics has skyrocketed in the past few years as candidates and others have realized how effective it can be to get the media talking about something else – anything else – when it’s you that’s under the glare of scrutiny.
The strategy is often called “look, a squirrel!”, an allusion to the Pixar film Up in which dogs’ conversations are instantly paralyzed when any canine participant observes (or thinks he may have observed) a squirrel.