Calling her a liberal in the first sentence detracts from the credibility of the article, the author and the media vehicle.
That is one example of the foolhardy amateurishness, and ineffectiveness of "conservative" operatives' and journalists' strategies and tactics, if they even stop to consider such matters.
To them everybody left of Attila the Hun is a liberal, and they wrongly think saying so is helpful, when it is actually harmful.