NBC’s Norah O’Donnell apparently has the unenviable task today of staking out Sarah Palin’s first book event in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Laboring under the impression that facts would be useful in an exchange with Palinites, O’Donnell seemed a bit unprepared for this alternate universe, where reality need not apply.

A few moments ago, she interviewed an youngish woman with a T-shirt that read something like “the government gave Wall Street a $700 billion bailout and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.” O’Donnell correctly pointed out that Palin supported the bailout during the campaign, and asked her if this changed her view of either Palin or the bailout. But the woman refused to accept the premise, asking O’Donnell: “Where did you hear that?”

O’Donnell was even armed with a direct quote, but it didn’t matter. Then some other guy jumped into the exchange and argued that the bailout approved by Congress was actually pretty sweet. But Tim Geithner ruined it the day after it passed (although Geithner, of course, didn’t take over Treasury until five months later). And he was sure that Palin supported it when it was awesome and opposed it once it sucked.

Realizing the futility of her effort, O’Donnell concluded the interview, saying: “I think you get a sense of Sarah Palin’s supporters.”

Agreed.