Opinion

The AP’s Palin panic

Sarah Palin — the Associated Press wants folks to believe — is so pat ently unqualified as a political leader that no one, absolutely no one, could possibly take her seriously. Except, it seems, the Associated Press.

Indeed, the latest example — in which the AP sent 11 (count ’em: 11) reporters to “fact-check” Palin’s new book, “Going Rogue” — suggests that the agency is pathologically obsessed with the former Alaska governor and ’08 GOP veep candidate.

Gee, what on earth are they afraid of?

AP didn’t send 11 reporters to fact-check President Obama’s two books (it didn’t bother to fact-check them at all). Nor did it hold Vice President Joe Biden’s books under a microscope.

But Sarah Palin, who no longer even holds office, merited a platoon of reporters to dissect her every word. And to yell “Gotcha” for any minor variance from what this hit squad sees as truth.

Not that the crack team actually found anything. Their inquiry turned up all of six (count ’em, six) instances of what they consider lapses. (Nearly two reporters for each one!)

And what counts as a lapse?

Such horrors as Palin’s claim that as gov she didn’t “often” stay at “high-end, robe-and-slipper” hotels. Ah, Palin just couldn’t put that one past those dogged AP sleuths: They found one she did stay at. How about that?

In truth, what bothers Palin’s critics is not that she’s unqualified or an egregious fabricator but that, in fact, she isn’t.

They’re terrified that she’s too qualified, in that she comes across as refreshingly candid and down-to-earth, that folks relate to her — even though (horrors!) she’s not an Ivy League Democrat.

Well, we suspect that the AP will just have to get used to it. Tsk, tsk.