Miss USA Would Like To Change Her Answer About Affordable Health Care

[brooklynite]

Source: Buzzfeed

The newly crowned Miss USA clarified comments she made during Sunday's pageant, telling Good Morning America on Tuesday that affordable health care is a right and that she's privileged to have it through her employer.

On Sunday, when Julianna Hough, the pageant's host, asked the 25-year-old contestant if if affordable health care is a right or a privilege for all Americans, McCullough responded, "I'm definitely going to say it's a privilege."

...snip...

On Tuesday, McCullough responded by changing her answer, saying she's clarifying that she is privileged to have health care provided to her through her job.

"I just want people to see where I was coming from," she said. "Having a job, I have to look at health care like it is a privilege."


Read more: https://www.buzzfeed.com/maryanngeorgantopoulos/miss-usa-healthcare-answer-change

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Isn't this why they keep Miss Congeniality around?

[yallerdawg]

1. Good answer - now.

"I am privileged to have health care and I do believe that it should be a right," she said. "I hope and pray moving forward that health care is a right for all worldwide."

Words trip us all up!

[knightmaar]

2. It's a privilege ...

... in that I feel very privileged to have it.

Makes sense. Her original answer could have meant it either way.

[skylucy]

3. I think I get what she is saying. Right now in America,

people who get good health care insurance through their jobs are definitely privileged to have it. I feel very lucky and privileged to be covered through my former employer. And unfortunately,right now in America health care is definitely NOT treated as a right by those in power. I think we should cut the new Miss USA some slack and understand that a thirty second answer given the other night under pressure might not be the way to gauge how she really feels about something.

[still_one]

4. I am sorry but this is typical media gotcha bullshit. Her first answer was affordable healthcare is

a right, and she is privileged to have it through her employer

I question that she even appreciates the connotation that the word privilege implies.

Glad to see that the media is focusing on the real stories that affect Americans, such as what a beauty contestant thinks, as opposed to how the republicans are trying to take away health care from the most vulnerable in our society

[Blue_Tires]

5. Yeah, she had to amend that answer

Alt-right bloggers and pundits were trying to "claim" her as their own

[haele]

6. Ummm, even in early High School I learned that in real life -

you can't retake the test. Once you're out of the classroom, it's always finals. Whatever you do is going to be it.

Ms. McCullough, you've been on the pageant circuit long enough. There's any number of "coaches" for every level to keep you from screwing up the "poise and public relations" duties the further you progress out of your local fair level of pageant. A smart young woman would have availed herself of some.
You should have learned by now how to gracefully extend your time to gather your thoughts and give an appropriate, consistent answer that would keep you from sounding like an over-privileged brat. You should also constantly practice answering questions related to the topics of the day, especially politics, because you know you're going to be asked those questions whenever you make appearances.
Like a lawyer, your answer should have only been relevant to the narrative context you represent, and crafted to only get the reactions you expect to receive.

If you didn't understand the fallout from your comments and are now trying to backtrack, or can't figure out a way to justify the answer you gave, then you failed. You didn't think your answer through.

As an aside, my sister in law is a paralegal and also assists with the local youth pageants in coaching poise and public speaking. she's in Alabama - apparently that's a recognized form of community service as well as a rite of passage for girls of a wide range of "classes".

Haele

[athena]

16. Enough with the condescension. The woman is a scientist.

She works as an emergency preparedness specialist at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, so I'm sure she has learned everything you learned in high school about not being able to retake the test. She has lived all over the world and probably speaks several languages. It's interesting that everyone is dismissing her as a mere beauty pageant and conveniently ignoring that she has a life and a career beyond that. Scientists aren't always good at expressing themselves, so cut her some slack. If more Americans practiced empathy, this country would not be in the mess it's in right now.

[iluvtennis]

7. Seems like an honest mistake to me...she isn't politically astute enough to know...

the weight of the word privilege wrt healthcare. She was simply saying she felt priveleged/blessed/etc to have healthcare. Think of how many ppl in the world who don't have it.

[Hoyt]

8. I think she was right initially -- we need more jobs for those able/willing to work.

With more jobs, meaning solid economy, we'll have the money to provide health care to everyone and begin modifying the system for long-term viability. Well, that true as long a GOPers aren't cutting taxes and spending on the military, racist walls, and similar crud.

I feel very lucky to have a decent job with good health insurance. That is a privilege and we need everyone to share in that "privilege."

[LiberalFighter]

9. Glad she had the sense to clarify.

[yardwork]

10. That's what I thought she meant.

[OKNancy]

11. me too. I never thought she actually meant what some said

I understood what she was getting at

[yardwork]

13. It seemed clear in context.

[hatrack]

12. Miss USA can GO FUCK HERSELF

.

[athena]

17. Way to go with the lack of empathy.

Clearly, you have read neither the article, nor any of the other posts pointing out that she's a Black woman, a nuclear scientist and almost certainly a liberal if not a leftist. If there is one thing the left loves, it's to attack other leftists without a minute spent considering whether there might have been a misunderstanding.

[sarcasmo]

14. Fox news will hire her on the spot.

[milestogo]

15. Now the runner up has to step up.