Miss California is the New Sarah Palin

I knew it, I even said it. Carrie Prejean has not only become a martyr (thanks Perez), but now she's the GOP queen.

Within a week she has risen to new heights and her future may last longer than 15 minutes.

Politico talks about her new found power:

The reaction among conservatives, who embraced Prejean as a martyr for the cause, was equally strong. An Alabama state legislator introduced a House resolution praising her for speaking out against gay marriage. In a press release, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins stated his “admiration and support” for her and lauded “her fortitude in the face of continued baseless personal attacks.”

“There’s a lot of people cheering you tonight that you stood on your principles, that you put the principles above winning,” Fox News talk show host Sean Hannity told Prejean when she appeared on his television program. “Not enough people do that. And I admire you a lot for it.”

In the right-wing blogosphere, where the consensus was that her opposition to gay marriage cost her the Miss USA title, conservatives depicted Prejean as a role model worth emulating.

“Miss California Carrie Prejean’s act of courage — in the face of tremendous pressure to spout the liberal line — serves as a fine example for young and more seasoned conservative politicians,” Mark Impomeni wrote on the popular RedState blog. “First be true to your beliefs, and let the chips fall where they may. When they do, they should know that conservatives of like mind across the country will stand up for them.”

“I would like to nominate Miss California as the new face of the marriage movement. Much better than mine!” National Organization for Marriage President Maggie Gallagher wrote on National Review’s The Corner.

Prejean has taken full advantage of her newfound stardom, becoming an almost hourly fixture on cable news — and Donald Trump, the owner of the Miss USA contest, has also fuel the story by throwing his weight behind it in an effort to promote the pageant and himself. Trump is scheduled to appear on Fox News’s “O’Reilly Factor” Thursday night to discuss the controversy.

Prejean is slated for another television appearance Thursday night when she attends the Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards and introduces one of the performers at the award show.

She’s also now prominently featured on the website of San Diego Christian College — the school she attended before taking the semester off to prepare for the pageant. The college was founded in 1970 by conservative pastor Tim LaHaye, author of the popular Christian book series “Left Behind.”

We can laugh at this and think Prejean's fame is hogwash. But I'm not so sure she can tossed aside so easily. Her looks and her beliefs will give her power among the GOP and if we are not careful, Prejean could be the trojan horse we didn't see coming.

Hell, this woman could be the GOP She-ra.