Trial balloon?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>, <span word="particularly">particularly</span> “<span word="trial">trial</span> <span word="balloons">balloons</span>”: <span word="Politicians">Politicians</span> <span word="lacking">lacking</span> <span word="vision">vision</span> <span word="launch">launch</span> <span word="trial">trial</span> <span word="balloons">balloons</span> <span word="left">left</span>, <span word="right">right</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="centre">centre</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hope">hope</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="somewhere">somewhere</span> <span word="along">along</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="line">line</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="right">right</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="politicians">politicians</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="flying">flying</span> <span word="balloons">balloons</span> <span word="around">around</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="having">having</span> <span word="fun">fun</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="flying">flying</span> <span word="kites">kites</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="park">park</span>.</p><p><span word="No">No</span>, <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="that">that</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="politicians">politicians</span> <span word="send">send</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="trial">trial</span> <span word="balloons">balloons</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="proverbial">proverbial</span> <span word="sky">sky</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="testing">testing</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="opinion">opinion</span>.</p><p><span word="How">How</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="that">that</span>?</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="balloon">balloon</span> <span word="in">in</span> “<span word="trial">trial</span> <span word="balloons">balloons</span>”, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="originally">originally</span> <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hot">hot</span>-<span word="air">air</span> <span word="balloons">balloons</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="send">send</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="air">air</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="test">test</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="weather">weather</span>, <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="direction">direction</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="speed">speed</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wind">wind</span>.</p><p><span word="Therefore">Therefore</span>, <span word="metaphorically">metaphorically</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="politicians">politicians</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="launching">launching</span> <span word="trial">trial</span> <span word="balloons">balloons</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="plan">plan</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span> – <span word="to">to</span> <span word="gauge">gauge</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="measure">measure</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="opinion">opinion</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="agree">agree</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="not">not</span>.</p><p><span word="They">They</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="trial">trial</span> <span word="balloons">balloons</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reason">reason</span>, <span word="emphasis">emphasis</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="trial">trial</span>, <span word="trial">trial</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> “<span word="a">a</span> <span word="trial">trial</span> <span word="run">run</span>”, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="tentative">tentative</span>, <span word="temporary">temporary</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="final">final</span> <span word="final">final</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="agree">agree</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="them">them</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="launch">launch</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="plan">plan</span> <span word="officially">officially</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="talking">talking</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="case">case</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="scratch">scratch</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="plan">plan</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="else">else</span> <span word="anew">anew</span>.</p>
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