UPDATE: The McCain campaign says she never “worked” for Buchanan and there’s no evidence she raised money or donated to him. After the AP article I cite below, she wrote a letter to the editor saying she was wearing the button simply to “welcome” Buchanan to town.

Very quickly. 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, a very committed Buchananite 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.

UPDATE: James Antle at the American Spectator rightly points out that while Buchanan considered a 1988 run for the presidency he didn’t pursue it. My bad.