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Mini Poll: Beauty Contests Contested
 Next Tuesday, Missouri's voters will go to the polls to choose among candidates seeking their parties' nomination for President of the United States. (You can see the City's various party ballots here and find your polling place here. Voters from St. Louis County and other jurisdictions can find the same information on their own Election Board websites. MayorSlay.com urges everyone to vote. It is a good habit to have.)
The results of Tuesday's election will be officially meaningless, because Missouri Republicans will actually select their national convention delegates in a series of local caucuses in March. The $8 million dollar exercise on Tuesday is what political observers call a "beauty contest" -- and that inspired this week's Mini-Poll about actual beauty contests.
According to the sometimes fabulous Wikipedia, the first modern American beauty pageant was staged by PT Barnum in 1854 as extension of his previous contests involving dogs and birds. Because of fierce public protests, the judges viewed pictures of the contestants, instead of the contestants themselves. Humans (and humans in bathing suits) began showing up in contests in the 1880s. They, contests and contestants, have grown more elaborate since. Miss America, Miss Universe, and Mr. World are more or less popular examples of contemporary pageants. "Toddlers and Tiaras," a cable staple, chronicles the lives of child beauty contestants and their parents.
The questions that follow will let you register your support, outrage, or general indifference to beauty pageants.
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