Back in the early Black and White days of Television there was a show called "Queen For A Day." The premise was for show host, Jack Bailey, to get women to get up and tell their story to the studio audience. The Applause Meter registered the sound level for each of the four contestants. The contestants were members of the studio audience. "Unsuspecting" she was to be "the one". It did not matter who she was. It mattered only that she would be emotional at the personal attention that she was about to get and convey her story to the audience.
Jump ahead 50 to 60 years and we have Kim Davis interviewing for the title of Queen For a Day. She reached the national radar by denying men and women marriage licenses in her home county of Rowan, Kentucky. As County Clerk she must issue and sign all marriage licenses. She personally objected to issuing a license to two men or two women. She claimed Christian Privilege as the basis of her refusal to perform the duties of her elected office. So in steps the Family Research Council and other conservative anti-civil rights organizations. She tells her sorry story and the Applause Meter began to register.
"Keep going Kim, you made the needle move." She then shut down all marriage license issuance and told people to go elsewhere.
"Kim, the needle is moving more. Do something dramatic."
She then was summoned to Federal court to be told to do her job and stop discriminating. She refuse that order and was immediately taken into custody. "
Well done, Kim, you'll be a martyr for our cause." So then Republican candidates for president jumped to her side and one showed up to hold her arm high in a sign of victory.
"You've DONE IT, Kim, You ARE Queen for a Day." She was lavished with praise, shown crucifixes dangling from sticks in front of her face, given a bouquet of flowers and made to again weep with joy. The only thing missing from the media circus was the playing of "Pomp and Circumstances." I guess they would run into an IP issue so they pirated "Eye of the Tiger" instead.
Now you must recall that the "honor" of being Queen For a Day on the TV show was not to make the women feel better, but to sell advertising minutes and hawk the sponsors' products. The winner would get a washer-dryer, dinner for two on the town, a bouquet of flowers, a crown and an ermine lined red velvet robe, flatware, matching pots and pans, in short what every woman from 1945 through 1964 really wanted. After the it was all over for the day, she had to give back the robe and crown.
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