Miss America 2011 Political Views: 'Bipartisanship Has Become Ridiculous'

Teresa Scanlan, Miss Nebraska, won the 2011 Miss America crown at the age of only 17. Crowned in Sin City at Planet Hollywood Casino and Resort, the aspiring lawyer is too young to drink, gamble or even register to vote. With the black bikini competition over, our focus is now on Miss America's political views, which in our post-Carrie Prejean world, know all too well, can be downright ugly and scandalous.

First we have Miss Scanlan's response to a question posed to her during the Miss America Pageant. Regarding Wikileaks, she says that the United States should focus on security first.

"You know when it came to that situation, it was actually based on espionage, and when it comes to the security of our nation, we have to focus on security first and then people's right to know, because it's so important that everybody who's in our borders is safe and so we can't let things like that happen, and they must be handled properly," reports the Associated Press. (See: 2011 Miss America Pageant Wikileaks Answer on YouTube)

Though populist, it's nervy.

Take the processed hair, unnaturally white teeth, overdone eye makeup and ample curves away - or don't - and the statement could have more believably come from former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin than from an underage beauty queen. At first blush, it's a semi-astute political view and comment for a teen...but not for an icon, pop or otherwise.

So minutes into her reign as Miss America 2011, Scanlan is now the subject of both praise and condemnation for her political views.

Liberal Democrats would be more inclined to call the statement an attack on liberty or deem it Bush-esque. And, some pundits may find it politically ignorant. FishbowlLA has an article titled, "Miss America Hates Wikileaks, Might Be an Idiot." An idiom about a kettle and a pot comes to mind here.

She has been pegged a "Christian Conservative" by some - prefaced with the word "hot" or otherwise. Readers can rely on the Huffington Post and social media for these and similarly-themed labels.

The truth - if her words are honest - is that Scanlan is a self-described Independent and aspiring law student who has her sights on a career as both a judge and a politician.

Of note, Miss Nebraska did raised her arms frequently - as if to a divine power - when the recent high school graduate was announced the winner of the pageant. How much this visual factors into the ideological labeling is too early to assess. And, unfortunately, it doesn't help that Sarah Palin is a former beauty queen or that Scanlan bears a bleached-blond resemblance to Carrie Prejean, the former Miss California USA and MIss USA runner-up. It is fodder for those so inclined to use it. Be prepared.

Putting the subjective aside, however, there is this statement which puts Miss America's political views into question:

"All the bipartisanship has become ridiculous and it's time to look at issues instead of parties," she said to the Associated Press regarding her intention to register as an Independent next month.

It is an awkward, idealistic, statement at best for rather partisan politics have become ridiculous. In fact, it sounds quite youthful. It sounds so 17. Unfortunately, as a public figure, those carefree days --and age-related excuses-- are on hold, if not aborted entirely. For Teresa Scanlan's sake, we hope the tiara is worth it.

Sources:

She's just 17! Nebraskan wins Miss America pageant (January 15, 2011)
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41097869/ns/today-today_fashion_and_beauty/

Teresa Scanlan, Miss Nebraska, Wins 2011 Miss America Pageant (PHOTOS) (January 15, 2011)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/15/teresa-scanlan-miss-america-2011-miss-nebraska_n_809602.html#s224847