(Husband Todd Palin is not a member of the party now, but he was registered as an AIP voter at different periods of his life totaling seven years. Sarah has never been a member but attended a party conference in her hometown of Wasilla.)
She attended
a AIP party conference...Big whoop.

The article also states that Alaska is very dependent on the Federal government. Palin, from what I read, feels that the people she governed (in this case her fellow Alaskans) should have more control and more say in their lives and less dependence on the Federal Government. If she carries this ideology over into her Vice Presidency all the better in my opinion.