"...pulling the strings...."   

Ah yes, perhaps the dark conspiracy theorist's favorite phrase.

Whenever there's any mystery, "they" must be behind it.

It's rather amazing how popular that phrase--and that theory--is across the whole political spectrum--with anybody who doesn't bother to do research.

I'll admit it certainly is a great excuse for laziness--and of course lazy people can be found across the whole political spectrum.

So its popularity should really not be surprising, I suppose.