According to this clip, Sarach Palin didn't know Africa was a continent, couldn't name the countries in North America, and had a very weak knowledge of government and civics. I don't know what John McCain was thinking when he chose her for his running mate. He should have picked Mike Huckabee, since he would have appealed to conservatives, had experience as a governor, and they knew each other. Tom Ridge also would have been a solid pick. He wouldn't have excited conservatives, but he would have made McCain competitive in Pennsylvania.