Richard Spencer

August 29, 2008

Very good news from The Nation:

>Remember when Pat Buchanan ran a number of hard-right, fringe campaigns for president in the late 1980s, 1990s and 2000? Well, guess who was supporting him:

From an AP report in 1999:

Pat Buchanan brought his conservative message of a smaller government and an America First foreign policy to Fairbanks and Wasilla on Friday as he continued a campaign swing through Alaska. Buchanan’s strong message championing states rights resonated with the roughly 85 people gathered for an Interior Republican luncheon in Fairbanks. ? Among those sporting Buchanan buttons were Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin and state Sen. Jerry Ward, R-Anchorage.

In fact, Buchanan himself told me he was thrilled by the choice, saying as soon as I mentioned it: “It’s great for the base. I’m pretty sure she’s a Buchananite!”
People seem to be missing the fact that this is a classic, Rovian appease-the-base choice.

[Hat tip Ross Douthat]

UPDATE: On Hardball, Pat Buchanan just said Palin was part of the Brigade in Alaska in ‘96.