Georgia and the United States have had strong relations since the mid 1990s when Presidents Clinton and Shevardnadze forged an alliance. In recent years that relationship has become closer due to a narrative presenting Georgia as a democratic beacon and key strategic country in the region. However, this narrative is beginning to give way to an alternate narrative which suggests that Georgia is governed by an impulsive leader with authoritarian tendencies who was far too close to the Bush administration. While both of these narratives draw on elements of truth, they also lack any nuance or shades of grey. Accordingly they both lead to policy decisions that are bad for Georgia and for the United States. US policy towards Georgia needs to be viewed more soberly drawing on evidence and actions rather than competing narratives.