The Politico has finally taken note of John McCain's serial gaffes on the campaign trail, like his recent reference to "Czechoslovakia", a country that hasn't existed for years.

The question is raised, of course, as to whether McCain is too old and senile to be president. He'll turn 72 soon, meaning that, if he's elected and then re-elected, he'd be America's first octogenarian president. There's no denying that's pretty ancient, for a president. Anyone who has watched his or her parents enter their eighth decade of life has witnessed them relying on an increasing mixture of medications that has Lord knows what effect on them, breaking down physically and forgetting things like the name of the family that lived next door for 40 years.

By the same token, though, McCain is obviously a fairly vigorous 71-year-old. I couldn't keep up that campaign schedule. And I doubt seriously that he really doesn't know about the existences of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

At the same time, some other observers argue Barack Obama doesn't have the experience to be president. It's certainly the case that his time in the national arena has been brief, and it's understandable if that gives some voters pause. Plus, he's made a few gaffes of his own. On the other hand, he's obviously good enough to have gotten this far.

Neither age nor relative inexperience should be, per se, disqualifiers. The only a priori disqualifier ought to be this: is this person knowledgeable enough to be president? Not smart - that's an IQ question, and lots of people with high IQ's use that brainpower committing batting averages to memory. Knowledgeable. About America and the world. God knows, after the horrors of the eight years from which we're emerging, the importance of this should go without saying.

What follows are 20 facts that I would like my president to know, offered to you, my perpetually disgruntled readers, in the form of a quiz. Give it a whirl. It's by definition a little idiosyncratic and not comprehensive, but I'd hope that most of us would agree that it'd be a good idea if the American president knew most of these things without having to be briefed on them. Sources are provided in the links embedded in the questions, but don't cheat. The answers are at the end.

Global knowledge

1. The split between Sunni and Shia, the two main branches of Islam, is approximately how many years old?

a. 700 years

b. 1,100 years.

c. 1,400 years.

d. 3,200 years.

2. The gross domestic product real growth rate of China for 2007 is:

a. 5.5%

b. 11.4%

c. 16.1%

d. 20.7%

3. Roughly speaking, the respective populations of Palestinians and Jews in the West Bank are:

a. 1.9 million and 700,000

b. 2.3 million and 275,000

c. 2.75 million and 540,000

d. 3 million and 300,000

4. Scientific experts were "stunned" in 2007 to learn that the rate at which the Arctic polar ice cap is melting could leave the north pole completely ice-free as soon as:

a. 2018

b. 2060

c. 2121

d. 2030

Domestic Knowledge

5. By what year are Medicare expenditures expected to surpass Social Security expenditures?

a. 2028

b. 2014

c. 2082

d. 2525

6. In what percentage of the roughly 3,100 counties in the United States is there at least one legal abortion provider?

a. 31%

b. 28%

c. 13%

d. 56%

7. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have a hand in about what percentage of mortgages in the United States?

a. 30%

b. 65%

c. 40%

d. 50%

8. How many Americans live below the official poverty line?

a. 26 million

b. 37 million

c. 42 million

d. 53 million

Everyday life

9. At the end of 2007, what was the average price in the US of a gallon of milk?

a. $3.87

b. $3.35

c. $4.26

d. $4.41

10. What's the manufacturer's suggested retail price for a Chevrolet Malibu LS Sedan (base model)?

a. $23,385

b. $27,138

c. $19,345

d. $17,211

11. What's the average annual cost of in-state tuition and fees at a typical state university – say, the University of Missouri?

a. $14,380

b. $16,050

c. $24,700

d. $20,600

12. In 2007, the average yearly premium for an employer-sponsored healthcare plan for a family of four was what?

a. $12,100

b. $9,900

c. $18,450

d. $14,200

American history

13. List these four historical incidents in chronological order from earliest to latest:

a. The Monroe Doctrine

b. The Indian Removal Act

c. The Treaty of Ghent

d. The Missouri Compromise

14. Who wrote the Federalist No 10?

a. John Jay

b. Gouverneur Morris

c. Alexander Hamilton

d. James Madison

15. When Truman secretary of state Dean Acheson told senator Arthur Vandenberg that he wanted the case made to the American people to be "clearer than truth", he was referring to the case for what?

a. The Berlin Airlift

b. The Truman Doctrine

c. The formation of Nato

d. The Korean war

16. Affirmative action in the United States was initiated by:

a. An act of Congress

b. A supreme court decision

c. A presidential executive order

d. A policy enacted by a consortium of state university systems

General well-rounded human being-ness

17. In the Old Testament, who was changed into a pillar of salt?

a. Job's wife

b. Job

c. Lot's wife

d. Esau's wife

18. Who is credited with the discovery of double-helix DNA?

a. Difford and Tilbrook

b. Watson and Crick

c. Sly and Robbie

d. Marsters and Gellar

19. Which of these teams has never won a Super Bowl?

a. The Minnesota Vikings

b. The Kansas City Chiefs

c. The St Louis Rams

d. The Pittsburgh Steelers

20. Simon, Randy and Paula are:

a. The Kingston Trio

b. The real names of Peter, Paul and Mary

c. The judges on Dancing With the Stars

d. The judges on American Idol

Answers: 1-c; 2-b; 3-b; 4-d;5-a; 6-c; 7-d; 8-b; 9-a; 10-c; 11-d; 12-a; 13-c-d-a-b; 14-d; 15-b; 16-c; 17-c; 18-b; 19-a; 20-d.