What is Aleppo?

Don't you love "gotcha"questions from journalists during elections?

From Frida Ghitis at CNN:

"What is Aleppo?" It is many things, but let's hope among them that it is the turning point in a presidential campaign that has until now been dangerously dismissive of the crucial decisions the next US president will face the second they step into the Oval Office. 

In a campaign season where shocking moments have come all too frequently, the Aleppo question was another stunner. It happened Thursday morning, on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." It was a shocking exchange between the Libertarian presidential candidate, Gov. Gary Johnson, and one of the show's panelists, Mike Barnicle. 

Barnicle: "What would you do if you were elected about Aleppo?"
Johnson: "About...?"
Barnicle: "Aleppo"
Johnson: "And what is Aleppo?"
Barnicle: "You're kidding."
Johnson: "No." 

Barnicle proceeded to explain that Aleppo is a city in Syria at the center of that country's civil war. Johnson replied, "Got it," and with that he declared that "With regard to Syria I do think it's a mess." He went on to explain his views on the country, but at this stage it was all pointless. Who cares what Johnson thinks about Syria now? He knows nothing about it. His opinion is meaningless. 

And he's disqualified from becoming president.

Aleppo? Wasn't he the fifth Marx Brother?

Seriously though, really? I give Johnson points for honesty, which is more than I would give to either Clinton or Trump.

Which is more important in a president: Honesty, or knowledge of obscure geographical references? Sorry Frida, maybe you eat, sleep and breathe the Syrian civil war, but most Americans don't (yet another reason we shouldn't be there, but I digress). In addition, considering we are at war in 6 different countries, you can pull a city from any of them, ask a million voting Americans about it, and the overwhelming majority will be clueless.

But  if you want to use that as a criteria for the presidency, then Obama should have been disqualified for his "57 states" comment: