Perception and Narrative

There's one thing that Sarah Palin has taught me: People emplot reality in different ways.

I was reminded of that as I read various stories today on the feuds among McCain's staff. Some of his staff anonymously portray Sarah Palin as a diva who was out for herself. They say she didn't accept their help to prepare her for the Katie Couric interview, since she thought she'd do fine on her own.

But another aide says she didn't accept their help because she was booked--her schedule was full, and there was no time!

So one group sees Sarah as supercilious, while another offers a different explanation. They are two different interpretations of one reality.

We've seen that a lot with Sarah Palin. She said she killed the Bridge to Nowhere, while her detractors say "no." In her mind, she technically did kill it, since she decided not to supplement the federal funds for its construction.

She said she supported sanctions against the Sudan, but her opponents say "no." After all, one of her officials said it was a bad idea, and she only supported it when it was too late. In her mind, however, she did support it at some point, so she was part of the coalition that wanted to do something about the situation.

One reality. Different perceptions.