To be fair, I think that a large majority of that was to do with nerves rather than intelligence or lack thereof. (I doubt she's in MENSA though.)
No_Strings, my friend... you are way too kind. Generally, those who participate in pageants, particularly on this magnitude, have had years of experience. It is rare for "newbies" to secure the crown on a first try... very unlikely.
However, with that said, most of the participants are well polished, especially in public speaking. Obviously this young lady missed a lesson, or two, or a couple of years - who knows?

Understanding nerves and composure, I would say that her confidence is not the issue here; I would suspect her over zealous nature is a lot stronger than you might expect - based on a history of knowing many women who've secured pageant titles and being married to a former title holder, too. Her intellectual abilities, however, definitely are to be questioned.
Of course, it is people like that that secure my future as an educator. I am grateful (thank God she will NEVER be in one of my classes!!!!).
Now back to being nice...
