>>Hey Tamar,
>>
>>>Did her belonging to the AIP make it to MSM or only to blogs? I don't actually recall. I do find one source that says that is was _officials_ of the AIP who said she was a member, so the story clearly isn't entirely nonsense. Even if she wasn't registered in the party, she has been involved with them (including attending two conventions and recording a message for one as governor).
>>>
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>>I believe that the AIP claim was on MSNBC's frontpage on the day after her speech; as were two other disparaging articles/commentaries. Subsequently the GOP provided proof, which I honestly have not seen but satisfied the media, that she's been a Republican for 20+ years.
>
>It would be interesting to see what actually appeared. As I said, I found a source that said that officials of the AIP claimed she'd been a member. If that's what was reported, that's fair game.
>
If I remember correctly I saw AIP claim on Yahoo front page (arguably, the most visible media source), and the 'synopsis' was in the headline, i.e. it worked as an advertisement, it was not even required to read the article.
In regard to 'fair game' issue, I think it is a bit unreasonable to argue about 'fairness' two months before the elections. I would rather consider it in categories of smartness. When these 'anti-Palin' things were designed on very raw level, probably assuming that average Joe is a moron, it's backfired big time. Frankly, it reminds me some guys preaching politics on Wellstone funerals.