Pageants and Politics

In the months leading up to November's election, John McCain will be campaigning with two former beauty queens at his side: his wife, Cindy, who was the Junior Rodeo Queen of Arizona in 1968, and his newly tapped vice presidential candidate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who won her local pageant and was the runner-up for Miss Alaska in 1984. So what do pageants and politics have in common? Bonnie Faulk, the executive director of the Miss Alaska Scholarship Pageant, spoke with NEWSWEEK's Samantha Henig about how the pageant world prepares young women for politics; which politicians could stand for some pageantry coaching; and why looking at fit bodies needn't be about pleasure.

NEWSWEEK: Is it at all a surprise to you that a former Miss Alaska runner-up might end up in the White House?
Bonnie Faulk: Absolutely not. These girls come through these pageants and are so well-spoken by the time they've completed the competition, it's not surprising at all. Being poised and being able to be natural and comfortable, and speak in front of a podium, and in front of the press, is something that we really push with the Miss America organization.

Do you see a lot of contestants with political aspirations?
At this young stage in their life, I don't know if we have a lot of political aspirations. At this stage, their goal is college and degrees.

Would some of Palin's hobbies, like hunting and snowmobiling, be deemed unladylike by pageant standards?
Not at all! Being very versatile is an asset. We've taken tomboy young ladies and turned them into feminine, wonderful, high-quality girls that can walk out on the stage and compete with the best of them.

But femininity is still something you want to strive for?
Oh, yeah. Grace, poise, femininity, style.

Palin won the Miss Congeniality title in 1984. If you take away the whole murder plot, would you say the movie "Miss Congeniality" portrays the general beauty pageant culture accurately?
I don't think so. No. It's very hokey.

Which politicians out there do you think could benefit from some pageant coaching?
You know, I love George Bush, but he just doesn't speak that well. He's a Texan, and it's OK that he doesn't speak that well. But we could all gain a little bit from pageants and speaking abilities, I think.