(Video) Meghan McCain on 'Tonight Show': "Who the Hell is Sarah Palin?"

Although the book, Dirty Sexy Politics, seems to be about a young woman finding herself and coming of age, according to New York Times literary critic Liesl Shillinger, most people seem to be most concerned with Meghan McCain's thoughts on the irrepressible Sarah Palin. Making the talk show rounds to promote the book, John McCain's daughter appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and shared thoughts not only about the book but about the book's contents, which is a front-row seat at the political drama that was the Republican presidential campaign of 2008. And, as has been the case with all her interviews, the topic naturally seemed to drift to the topic Meghan McCain had adamantly refused to talk about to any great degree since the end of her father's campaign -- Sarah Palin.

When Jay Leno said he found it "fascinating" that the McCain camp didn't tell her beforehand about Sarah Palin as her father's choice for his vice-presidential running mate in the 2008 campaign, Meghan McCain said she thought that they were "scared" she'd say something. "Like the rest of the country, I had no idea who she was."

The then 22-year-old Senator's daughter said she found out only an hour before the announcement was made in Dayton, Ohio, and cried on the way to the rally. She notes in the book that she wanted Connecticut Senator Joe Leiberman to be her father's running mate.

She told Jay Leno, "I distinctly remember thinking, 'God, don't let her have any skeletons in the closet. Please, god."

Her prayers went unanswered. Before the first day was over, major news outlets were reporting on a scandal that would become known as Troopergate, where Sarah Palin was alleged to have used the power of her Governor's office to fire one Alaska state employee and harass her ex-brother-in-law, who was an Alaska state trooper. Ethics violations allegations were part of the Sarah Palin portfolio as well. And they were just days away from finding out that Bristol Palin, Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter, was pregnant.

But what was Meghan McCain's initial reaction to Sarah Palin? "My initial reaction was 'Who the hell is Sarah Palin,' like everybody else."

And like everybody else, Meghan McCain would find out just who the governor of Alaska was.

But would she vote for Sarah Palin if she won the Republican nomination in 2012? Although she was diplomatic, it was evident that Meghan McCain would not be voting for a Republican candidate that promoted an "us versus them mentality," a clear dig at Palin's divisive style of politics. She said she couldn't see herself voting for a Democrat, but the tone of her voice implied she just might. She hedged in the end and said she was for "Team Romney."

Dirty Sexy Politics is Meghan McCain's second book. Her first, My Dad, John McCain, was an illustrated children's book that chronicled the life of her famous father, Arizona Senator John McCain.

Dirty Sexy Politics debuted in the Top 30 of the New York Times bestseller list.

Meghan McCain discusses finding out about Sarah Palin as her father's running mate with Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show" in the following video.

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Sources:

NYTimes.com
"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," NBC Television
HuffingtonPost.com