What Kind of Person?

Good question.

What kind of person tells a self-aggrandizing lie, gets called on it, admits publicly that the truth is not at all what she originally claimed -- and then goes out and starts telling the original lie again without changing a word?

Someone who thinks you are stupid and has no respect for you might be described as the above type of person. Actually, it's Sarah Palin (and John McCain).

Why does this tactic work? Kevin Drum points out this article that has some insight into the power of political misinformation. It's a funny phenomenon in a scary sort of way. It's called the "backfire effect". A scientific study has shown that if you point out a lie to a conservative, prove it's a lie..... conservatives are actually even more likely to believe the lie. Isn't that astonishing?

Upon hearing a refutation, conservatives might "argue back" against the refutation in their minds, thereby strengthening their belief in the misinformation. Nyhan and Reifler did not see the same "backfire effect" when liberals were given misinformation and a refutation about the Bush administration's stance on stem cell research.

Another possible reason for this "backfire effect" is the conservative distrust of elite "academics". Conservatives have been brainwashed, especially by talk radio, into believing that anything an expert claims is wrong or a lie....look at global warming.

You can find a discussion of this topic at this link.