Miss U.S.A.

So, Miss North Carolina (Kristen Dalton) won Miss U.S.A., and rightfully so. Her answer to the final question in the pageant didn't sound idiotic. In fact, I liked that she said that bailout money should instead be spent on education, health care and welfare.

Miss California (Carrie Prejean) and Miss Arizona (Alicia Blanco), however, seem to be in a race to see which one has the stupidest answer. Are these questions supposed to show how intelligent and aware of current events these women are?

Miss Arizona's question: Do you think the U.S. should have Universal Health Care as a right of citizenship?
Her Answer: "I think this is an issue of integrity, regardless of which end of the political spectrum that I stand on. I've been raised in a family to know right from wrong and politics whether you fall in the middle, the left or the right, it's an issue of integrity, whatever your opinion is and I say that with the utmost conviction."

Did anyone else notice that she didn't answer the question? Is she running for office?

Miss California's question: Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit?
Her Answer: "I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage," "And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."

Not helping the image of my adopted state, here, Carrie. I'm not even going to comment on the meat of her answer, because you know I don't agree -- however, she has the right to her opinion. (Wonder if she was one of the people who voted for Prop. 8 last November.) Americans are able to live in a land where you can choose same-sex or "opposite marriage", but in HER country, she thinks that you shouldn't be able to choose. Where is she from? Isn't California in the United States? Actually, she would have been better off using Miss Arizona's answer.

My husband and I have gotten a kick out of saying we have an "opposite marriage." It's so us.

I meant to comment a while ago on the fact that Iowa, of all places, has a more enlightened gay marriage policy than so-called liberal California. Wonders never cease.

And I am loving that my home state, Connecticut, the same Connecticut that people wanted to talk smack about when I first moved here, also allows same-sex marriage. Chew on that, smug Californians.