Palin supported Pat Buchanan in 2000

[Mr. Morden]

The article is from 1999. Didn't Buchannan start out running for the GOP nomination (again) in 2000? I'm sure she ended up supporting Bush when Buchannan left the party. Again, this doesn't mean she suddenly stopped liking Buchannan.

Yeah, Buchanan was running for the GOP nomination in 1999, but his campaign stalled after a poor showing in the Iowa straw poll, and he ultimately jumped over to the Reform Party in October 1999.  I assume that Palin didn't continue to back Buchanan when he jumped to the Reform Party, or it would have already come out and been a bigger story....but I don't know for sure.

Also, as a point of interest, Buchanan won the Alaska straw poll in 1996:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE6DE1739F932A05752C0A960958260

As I understand it the straw poll was really the main contest that year, as the state convention awarded the delegates, and it was basically ignored.  Buchanan and Forbes were really the only candidates to campaign there, so they got first and second.

[Mr. Morden]

So, to clarify, she either supported Buchanan or Forbes in either 1996 or 2000 (or both).  There seems to be no clarity on which cycle we're talking about or whether she was really with Buchanan or Forbes?

[Mr. Morden]

So, to clarify, she either supported Buchanan or Forbes in either 1996 or 2000 (or both).  There seems to be no clarity on which cycle we're talking about or whether she was really with Buchanan or Forbes?

See my quoted bits above for at least some facts about the matter (a few posts up).

Well, that only sort of clarifies things.  Wexler accuses Palin of supporting Buchanan in 2000, but I don't know if he's correct because he might be as confused as everyone else seems to be on the subject.

Buchanan says that she was a "brigader for him" in 1996, but is that based on anything more than her attendance at the one fundraiser for him (at which she apparently didn't actually contribute anything)?  Was she attending as an actual show of support for Buchanan, or just to socialize with Alaska politicos who might show up at the rare Alaskan visit by a presidential candidate?  And she worked on Forbes's campaign, but was that in 1996 or 2000?  It's all clear as mud.

[Mr. Morden]

For the record, Forbes isn't much better if that happened to be her choice IMO. It's really just a difference between what sort of far-right wing whack job you prefer.

Well, it does sort of depend on which election cycle we're talking about.  Forbes was kind of the Mitt Romney of the 1990s.  Back in 1996, I'm not sure if he could be said to support any "far-right" policies other than the flat tax (if that counts).  His campaign was purely about economic issues, and he completely deemphasized social issues (and was in fact pro-choice on abortion).  Then, in between the 1996 and 2000 cycles, he had a disingenuous-seeming conversion on abortions and other social issues, and moved well to the right.

[Mr. Morden]

For the record, Forbes isn't much better if that happened to be her choice IMO. It's really just a difference between what sort of far-right wing whack job you prefer.

Well, it does sort of depend on which election cycle we're talking about.  Forbes was kind of the Mitt Romney of the 1990s.  Back in 1996, I'm not sure if he could be said to support any "far-right" policies other than the flat tax (if that counts).  His campaign was purely about economic issues, and he completely deemphasized social issues (and was in fact pro-choice on abortion).  Then, in between the 1996 and 2000 cycles, he had a disingenuous-seeming conversion on abortions and other social issues, and moved well to the right.

I thought he was just another right-wing hack who compared abortion to slavery.

In 2000 maybe.  In 1996, his abortion position was kind of KBH-esque.  In favor of a bunch of restrictions on abortion, but still thinking most abortions should be legal....though he tried to avoid using the actual term "pro-choice".  Here's a sampling of what he said back then:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01EEDB1739F931A35751C0A960958260

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[Mr. Morden]

McCain's campaign finally puts out a statement!:

Gov. Palin has never worked for any effort to elect Pat Buchanan — that assertion is completely false. As Mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin did attend an event with Mr. Buchanan in her hometown, where reports described her wearing a Buchanan for President button. She wore the button as a courtesy to Mr. Buchanan, and in an effort to make him feel welcome during his visit, but immediately sent a letter to the editor of her local paper clarifying that the button should not have been interpreted as an endorsement of any kind.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/08/mccain-camp-den.html

text is bold to try and make the facts noticeable among the speculation.

OK, that post clarifies a couple of things.  It says that Buchanan's campaign swing through Alaska, at which Palin wore a Buchanan button was in July 1999, so that was the 2000 election cycle, not 1996.  Though it was when Buchanan was still running in the GOP primary, before he switched to the Reform Party.

It also dates Palin joined the Forbes campaign in August 1999, so again, that's the 2000 election cycle.