Fox News: Sarah Palin didn't know Africa was a Continent

[MR maverick]

This bit of news is shocking and what on earth was John McCain thinking?

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Knowing who's in NAFTA isn't a matter of being prepared for the Vice-Presidency, it's a matter of studying on the level of a middle-school Government test.

1) Homer, Sarah Palin wasn't in diapers when NAFTA was drafted, unlike yourself.
2) all of this stuff is nothing more than rumors given to the media from individuals who will be working for other GOP candidates seeking the GOP nomination. 

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

People, I'm sure a lot of the rumors about the friction between the Palin and McCain camps are true.  It happens in all campaigns, especially losing campaigns.

And it is obviously true Palin was NOT prepared to run for national office, in spite of the fact she had been the picture of competence as Governor of Alaska.  And even I have thrown her under the bus for accepting McCain's offer when she should have known she wasn't ready.

She lacked basis knowledge, and was shaken up to the point of being unable to name stuff that she had intimate knowledge of (e.g. couldn't name SCOTUS rulings she disagreed with, even though she had been deeply involved for the last 6 years in a recent decided case involving the Exxon Prince William Sound spill)

But, to believe she didn't know Africa was a continent...come on.  That's a little far fetched, even for Sarah.  Consider the source and motive of the leak.

(the bit about coming out in a bath robe with her hair wrapped in a towell is believable considering her husband was also in the room.  And I'm not sure I would have thought anything about it.  In fact, I'm not even sure it's inappropriate.  And I find it kind of childish that McCain's advisors even took note of it.  What are they, 9 years old?)

[memphis]

Knowing who's in NAFTA isn't a matter of being prepared for the Vice-Presidency, it's a matter of studying on the level of a middle-school Government test.

Sarah Palin wasn't in diapers when NAFTA was drafted, unlike yourself.

So you wouldn't expect John McCain to know who the members of NATO are?

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I already was the first to point this news out, but ohh well.

Iam sorry but those who said Palin was not the cause of McCains loss need to think again.

SHE CLEARLY WAS!

[X]

[Sensei]

Knowing who's in NAFTA isn't a matter of being prepared for the Vice-Presidency, it's a matter of studying on the level of a middle-school Government test.

1) Homer, Sarah Palin wasn't in diapers when NAFTA was drafted, unlike yourself.
2) all of this stuff is nothing more than rumors given to the media from individuals who will be working for other GOP candidates seeking the GOP nomination. 

1) I don't see how your first point has any bearing on the factuality of my statement. And I was in pull-ups, for the record.
2) Point taken. Never said it was true.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Knowing who's in NAFTA isn't a matter of being prepared for the Vice-Presidency, it's a matter of studying on the level of a middle-school Government test.

Sarah Palin wasn't in diapers when NAFTA was drafted, unlike yourself.

So you wouldn't expect John McCain to know who the members of NATO are?

of course I'd expect McCain to know the members of NATO...he deals with the issue day in and day out.  But NATFA is about as much of a threat to Alaska as NAFTA is a threat to Hawaii.  Palin probably only dealt with the Canada side of the NAFTA equation.  

So, I wouldn't necessarily be troubled by a rumor that a Governor of Alaska can't name all the countries involved in NAFTA, as long as she knows Canada and the US are two of its members.

You act as if you're ignorant of the fact that every governor who has run for president is coached by a team of advisors six months prior to the beginning of the primary campaign in order to bring them up to speed on issues that are outside of their state's sphere of influence.  

But Sarah Palin didn't have that luxury.  And I can't think of another candidate that has been placed in Palin's predicament.  At least not from 1976 to present.  Even Quayle was at the national level in the US Senate prior to his selection in 1988

Sarah Palin's competence and intelligence is best judged by her performance as Governor of Alaska, where she was the complete package.

---

From her opening debut in Dayton, I've been saying Sarah is unrecognizable from the Sarah that was governor of Alaska, both in demeanor and in substance.  At first I chalked it up to the way McCain's team was handling her.  But now I realize it was due to her simply not being ready, and she wasn't used to not being prepared, and she felt very uncomfortable not being ready, and tried to cover up her lack of knowledge with a bunch of fake charm mixed with poorly written shallow attacks.  And it didn't work.

That's a fair and honest appraisal.  And I think if she hadn't made a fool of herself this year, she could have been a very formidable candidate if she had taken the normal path of assembling a team of national/international advisors 24 months prior to the general election - The very same path every modern president, except maybe Ford, has taken.

She made a huge mistake attempting to shortcut that process, and it (should) cost her a shot at 2012 and beyond.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I already was the first to point this news out, but ohh well.

Iam sorry but those who said Palin was not the cause of McCains loss need to think again.

SHE CLEARLY WAS!

so McCain would have won if he hadn't picked Sarah Palin...despite Bush, and despite 5.5 year war in Iraq, and despite the 7 year war in Afghanistan, and despite the deepening recession, and despite the record deficits, and despite $4/gallon gas, and despite printing 2,000,000,000,000.00 in new currency in the last two months alone to fend off nearly losing our banking system for the first time since 1930's...John McCain would have been the next president of the US and extended the GOP current run to 3 consecutive terms? 

RIGHT!

[Nutmeg]

Palin is ultimately a Valley girl.  Mat-Su Valley, that is.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I don't know if we'll ever appreciate just what we've managed to avoid.

46% of the voters sure didn't.

[The Duke]

Why are people takng this at face value?  A group of McCain staffers who know that the proverbial beheadings are coming as soon as blame is officially assigned are trying to make sure its not their heads that roll.  So they leak this stuff to an incredulous media.

And remember, a number of McCain staffers (I'm looking in your direction, Nicole Wallace) had already been thrown under the bus by Palin as Palin also tries to place blame on others.

If we start believing every anonymous story about disarray in the McCain campaign, we're going to end up believing some awfully stupid stuff.  It looks like some of us have already begun believing some stupid stuff.  One such stupid thing is the idea that Sarah Palin was a more significant factor in McCain's demise than the fact that the biggest stock market crash since 1929 happenned in October of an election year.

[BlueSwan]

Guys, this was on O'Reilly. He's been vigorously defending Palin since the nomination. Gotta love his reaction to Cameron telling him about Palin thinking that Africa was a country. He said something to the tune of "Well, that's stuff you can learn, surely it had to be about more than that". How can someone trivialize someone not knowing that Africa is a continent?? That's something I could accept an 8 year old thinking, not someone running for VP of the most powerful nation on earth.

[dead0man]

Guys, this was on O'Reilly. He's been vigorously defending Palin since the nomination. Gotta love his reaction to Cameron telling him about Palin thinking that Africa was a country. He said something to the tune of "Well, that's stuff you can learn, surely it had to be about more than that". How can someone trivialize someone not knowing that Africa is a continent?? That's something I could accept an 8 year old thinking, not someone running for VP of the most powerful nation on earth.

I disagree.  An 8 year old should know it too.  I could see not being able to point out where Kenya is on a blank map of Africa (but they better nail South Africa!), but only an idiot thinks Africa is a country.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

This should sum up Sarah Palin's political future on the national stage, or so I think.

Take a look at me, I'm yesterday's hero, yesterday's hero....

[Lunar]

I originally figured this thread was similar to Bush's rhetorical slip when he referred to Africa as a country, but Bush never actually thought that (he was just a poor speaker).  Very similar to Obama's "57 states" comment.

I wish I was a fly on the wall in the room though for that Palin comment.

[MR maverick]

I already was the first to point this news out, but ohh well.

Iam sorry but those who said Palin was not the cause of McCains loss need to think again.

SHE CLEARLY WAS!

so McCain would have won if he hadn't picked Sarah Palin...despite Bush, and despite 5.5 year war in Iraq, and despite the 7 year war in Afghanistan, and despite the deepening recession, and despite the record deficits, and despite $4/gallon gas, and despite printing 2,000,000,000,000.00 in new currency in the last two months alone to fend off nearly losing our banking system for the first time since 1930's...John McCain would have been the next president of the US and extended the GOP current run to 3 consecutive terms? 

RIGHT!

Yes, remember Obama was fading right after the Rep convention.

3 things happened

The melt down on wallstreet
 
Palins interview ... and we know how that went.

McCain seeming to punk out on the debate, only to show up and lose to a inexperience rookie.


Those things did him.   Look had McCain picked a more able Vp, he could have kept his experience card.  By Picking Palin he made the Obama- Biden ticket look like the safe haven. 

[MR maverick]

Guys, this was on O'Reilly. He's been vigorously defending Palin since the nomination. Gotta love his reaction to Cameron telling him about Palin thinking that Africa was a country. He said something to the tune of "Well, that's stuff you can learn, surely it had to be about more than that". How can someone trivialize someone not knowing that Africa is a continent?? That's something I could accept an 8 year old thinking, not someone running for VP of the most powerful nation on earth.

Bill OReilly while not as hackish as Hannity he's clearly partisan, and leans to the right.

I have noticed how he defends Palin like a hawk.  If Palin can attack Obama like a pitbull with lipstick, then shes fair game for the Obama camp to attack her when she clearly shows her lack of knowledge.
Biden wanted to rip into her during that debate, but had to stick to the game plan.
Iam enjoying every minute of this actually.

By the way.... I learned that Africa was a continent in the 3rd grade LOL

[BlueSwan]

It was probably wise of Biden not to tear her apart during that debate, but how I would have loved watching it, if he had done so.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

three possibilites:

A) this whole thing is as lie by highly paid GOP advisors meant to smear Palin and those on this forum buying into it are idiots (90.000% chance)

B) Palin was rattled to the point of forgetting basic knowledge including Africa being a continent (9.999% chance, a real possibility considering she couldn't recall a SCOTUS case even though her whole adult life has been spent in the aftermath of the Exxon spill and she herself spent a good portion of her career working directly and indirectly on the Exxon case)

C) 44 year old Sarah Palin, college grad, governor of Alaska, PTA member and involved mother of 3 kids who have made it past the 6th grade...really and truly does not know Africa is a Continent (0.001% chance)

I'll go with A. Final Answer.  The fact she has 3 kids beyond the 6th grade tells me whoever believes this story is an idiot, for there is NO WAY she could have not have gleaned this info from her kids homework.

[cannonia]

Palin didn't make McCain lose the election.

But still, yikes.

[Brittain33]

Oh, enough, guys. Really.

I don't know who you have in mind there, but surely you recognize that this is a Republican hit, and people keeping this in the news will be Republicans with a mission to destroy her before she destroys them further.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I don't know who you have in mind there, but surely you recognize that this is a Republican hit, and people keeping this in the news will be Republicans with a mission to destroy her before she destroys them further.

email me your address so I can FedEx the Captain-Obvious award to you

[Brittain33]

I don't know who you have in mind there, but surely you recognize that this is a Republican hit, and people keeping this in the news will be Republicans with a mission to destroy her before she destroys them further.

email me your address so I can FedEx the Captain-Obvious award to you

Ha ha. Sorry, the last 20 times Phil made a post like that, it was directed at Democrats.

[Keystone Phil]

I don't know who you have in mind there, but surely you recognize that this is a Republican hit, and people keeping this in the news will be Republicans with a mission to destroy her before she destroys them further.

email me your address so I can FedEx the Captain-Obvious award to you

Ha ha. Sorry, the last 20 times Phil made a post like that, it was directed at Democrats.

It's directed at both sides. I know the Palin haters (Dems) here will want to harp on this stuff for the next four years. Time to give it a rest.

[JSojourner]

Can we just talk about the wet hair and towel thingie?