Sarah Palin is prepping for tomorrow night's debate at McCain's Sedona ranch, where a McCain aide tells Mark Halperin:
“The serenity and beauty of this setting has contributed to what can be characterized as a relaxed environment.”
But is that the environment Palin needs? After all, psychological research suggests that a person should practice in a setting that most faithfully simulates the place where she'll be doing the actual performance. For instance, one 1993 study found that novice divers who learned how to apply decompression tables on dry land performed on average 64 percent worse than those who learned in the water when both groups were asked to perform in the water.
Now, obviously, decompression was one of the main reasons the McCain people sent Palin to Sedona. But it seems like she'd be better served at this point prepping for the debate in a hotel banquet room under bright lights, not out in the woods. (H/t K.L.)
--Jason Zengerle