Quoted

There she is . . . (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

"It is very ironic. . . . We've never really mattered before when it came to politics and the election. And this year we did. . . . What a wonderful year for Indiana. Go, Hoosiers!"

-- New Miss America Katie Stam of Seymour, Ind., when asked by Newsweek.com blogger (and Miss A board member) Tammy Haddad if she saw a connection between Indiana's first crown victory and its key swing-state boost to Barack Obama this year. The aspiring TV anchor, 22, sang opera, touted community service and rocked a black bikini for the win Saturday in Las Vegas. Miss D.C. Kate Marie Grinold made the top 10.