When Colin Powell appeared before the UN Security Council to stake his reckless claim (plausible but inaccurate) that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein was amassing weapons of mass destruction, he brought with him a credibility built up over years of service to the US government and its military. It was precisely that credibility that President Bush intended to leverage into public, even global support for his war of choice against Iraq. But there was something else in play when Powell made his claim.

Powell told a good story, one with a compelling narrative, a frightening villain, and a heroic posse ready to charge in to save the day. Jenny McCarthy told a forceful story as well, one with evil, uncaring scientists relying on “bullshit” research to pose a threat to the children of America. There is nothing like a compelling narrative to help convey a claim to its intended audience.