What is Your Perception of Reality?

Especially concerning people in public life. Jay Nordlinger describes how common perceptions of certain people in public life are really distortions of reality.

And what is his widespread image? He is a kind of Dr. Evil to people, although, unlike the Austin Powers one, not a comical Dr. Evil. He is a right-wing menace, a scourge of civil liberties, a Torquemada. This is absolutely perverse.

And what of President Bush’s image - at least one aspect of it? They say that he is less than bright: that he is stupid. And stupid is the last thing President Bush is. Call him willful, call him stubborn, call him petulant or cussed or difficult. Stupid, he is not.

Consider one more public figure: Sarah Palin. I keep hearing and reading, in various quarters, that she is a "bimbo." That is the word I hear about her, rather a lot: "bimbo." This is a woman, of course, who has been married since her early 20s. She and her husband, Todd, have five children. Sarah is governor of her state; Todd works in the oil fields. From what anyone can tell, they delight in each other, and in their family. They seem almost an advertisement for monogamy: for the married life. And yet people say "bimbo."

There is hope that the cultural establishment that creates these ugly distortions will be increasingly challenged by a conservative cultural emergence which includes Andrew Breirbart's Big Hollywood. Also, actor Danny Glover will be speaking at the Blogs for Life conference next week.

CORRECTION: 1/24/2009: The Danny Glover who spoke at the Blogs for Life conference is not the actor, but a dedicated blogger/journalist).