Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

A regular reader emails to tell me to wake up and smell the mooseburgers:

It’s easy as hell to laugh at Palin but I think Democrats are making a big mistake if they don’t start taking her much more seriously as a credible challenger to Obama. People are in a sour-as-hell mood and if the economy doesn’t pick up dramatically by 2012, Obama is going to be toast. Heaven help our Congressional majority next year.

Yes, Palin speaks in trite, childish platitudes but so do most Americans. Face it, the vast majority of our voters are not exactly rocket scientists and for many of them she will be a perfectly fine alternative to Obama.

Listen, I’m the guy who was convinced the American people would never choose the “amiable dunce” Reagan or the stupendously stupid Bush over Democrats who had IQ scores that couldn’t possibly be any less than 30 or 40 points above their opponents’.

Given the state of today’s Republican Party, I’d say Palin has an excellent shot at the nomination and if our economy still sucks in 2012 she’ll have an excellent shot at beating Obama. So, let’s take her for the more serious threat that she actually is and not as some poor joke. Remember, the dullest knife in the drawer is often the quickest to cut us.

I’m pretty sure I disagree.  But let’s open up the floor for discussion.  Sarah Palin: joke or serious threat?  Vote in comments.

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate