Carrie Prejean: From Miss California to Republican Party Recruiter

categories: Gay Marriage, LGBT and the Media, LGBT Rights and Politics, Marriage Equality, Republican Party and LGBT Rights

Published July 24, 2009 @ 11:20AM PT

Carrie Prejean

Who has the Republican Party tapped to travel down to Florida and help recruit younger voters to the Republican Party? None other than Carrie Prejean, the former Miss California and Miss USA contestant who famously dueled with blogger Perez Hilton over the former's belief that "opposite marriage" is far more superior to same-sex marriage.

What, were Jon Voight and Joe the Plumber too busy?

While Carrie Prejean certainly fits the age demographic that the Republicans are trying to tap, she's miles and miles away from the political sentiments of the under-35 crowd. Take, for instance, the issue of same-sex marriage, which Prejean has established her conservative bonafides in bashing. The majority of people in their 20s and 30s favor marriage equality by a substantial percentage. On this subject, Carrie Prejean is not only on the wrong side of history, she's also on the wrong side of her generation.

And that's just not some liberal gay rights blogger's opinion. That's the opinion of some Republicans, including Sandy Steen, a Broward Republican committeewoman. Here's what Steen told the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel:

It doesn’t seem like the smart thing to do. She’s in the right age bracket, certainly, but they’re going to turn off some of the young people who are moderates. That is not how you reach out to young people. She’s got every right to her opinions, but she can’t be the spokesperson for all the young people.

But beyond that, does the Republican Party really think that Carrie Prejean has the substance to bring voters into their tent? Is this the person the GOP wants to offer a substantive argument on issues like health care reform, civil rights, immigration, and climate change, to name a few issues?

Not to be too cynical, but one wonders if this is just an attempt to clone Ann Coulter. One news item that might back this assertion up? Last week, Carrie Prejean signed a lucrative book deal with Regnery Publishers, the publishing house that brought us Ann Coulter's first diatribe, "High Crimes and Misdemeanors."

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Comments (8)

Is it wrong that her interviews remind me of Miss South Carolina's answers in 2007?

Fantastic spokeswoman, really. Fantastic job, Republicans.

Posted by Beth Parrozzo on 07/24/2009 @ 11:41AM PT
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I don't think this has anything to do with Ann Coulter. She's Sarah Palin Jr., following in the high-heeled footsteps of Anita Bryant.

How did her career turn out again?

Posted by Alex Edelman on 07/24/2009 @ 02:48PM PT
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My thoughts exactly. I'm not liking where this is going either.

Posted by Amber Bauer on 07/24/2009 @ 11:47PM PT
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Me three! My thoughts, too. Seriously... well, my housemate was explaining to me the other week the differences between British politics and American politics. The British are very party-loyal, that's the way their very system works... the party will announce its candidate just weeks before the election. In the U.S., we have 2-year, gazillion-dollar campaigns just to be able to "know" an individual candidate, whatever that means. We are very focused on the person... the GOP is especially bad about this. While I don't think there's anything wrong wtih trying to learn as much as possible about a candidate, per se, I do think it has limits... the GOP has demonstrated this all-too-well with Palin and Palin Jr. They think that just having a cool personality should do the trick... (I guess that's why Bush got elected, not that I was ever a fan of his personality).

Posted by Luella - on 07/25/2009 @ 12:04PM PT
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Carrie Prejean will most likely accomplish very little with spreading her incorrect view of LGBT rights to gain young people for the Republican party. Same-sex marriage is a very important right which the LGBT community deserves. It's great that many young people favor same-sex marriage by a substantial margin. With Carrie Prejean on the wrong side of her age demographic and on the wrong side of history, she will accomplish very little in her recruiter efforts.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 07/24/2009 @ 08:09PM PT
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I agree Edwin. Why bother even giving this woman a passing thought? The GOP is ONCE AGAIN focusing on the wrong issues.

Posted by kristen blythe on 07/25/2009 @ 12:28PM PT
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I dont think we should ignore her entirely BUT I also dont think she'll be the most dangerous adversary we'll have to face...Sarah palin on the other hand...

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 07/26/2009 @ 01:00AM PT
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Can see Russia from her house. LOL

Posted by Chris Marshall on 11/07/2009 @ 12:29AM PT
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Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.