The paper was published in 2004 - I guess no one implemented the required method/calculations in software in the proceeding 14 years?
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As some mounts have DEC backlash, you want the polar alignment to be slightly out so you can guide DEC in one direction only. Therefore good accuracy is less important.
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This is only if you are guiding in DEC. If your polar alignment is excellent, then no DEC guiding is required, and hence backlash is irrelevant. Further, even a small PA error will invoke some drift (albeit slow) which can be handled by guiding in one direction (as you note Bill) --- it is all a matter of tuning the PHD2 (or equivalent) settings to get the interventions right. Basically, it's almost always good to be as close to the pole as is feasible.