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September 24, 2006

The Mr. America Pageant

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s a child of the '60s, I remember watching the "Miss America Pageant" from Atlantic City with my parents. (It's now in Las Vegas.) The talent contests -- opera singing, the rare ventriloquist, an occasional baton twirler -- swim suits, and evening gowns.

This was America's values on parade. And the winners almost invariably came from the South and Midwest. (No snarks about Vanessa Wiliams . . . I'd stopped watching by then.)

This past weekend, GOP presidential hopefuls convened for their own beauty pageant at the "Values Voters" Summit. No batons. No opera singing. Just lots of ventriloquism -- every contestant seemed to say the same thing: Abortion bad, Prayer good, Democrats evil.

What can you say . . . America's values on parade.

Posted by shertaugh at September 24, 2006 11:57 AM