WWW- From the Philadelphia Daily News: IF STATES CAN elect professional wrestlers and actors as governors, is it really such a stretch to vote for a porn star?

Make that former porn star.

Taking a page from the Mary Carey campaign book in California, Melody Damayo (better known as Mimi Miyagi during a career as one of porn’s top Asian stars) is running for governor of Nevada.

As a Republican.

Of course.

Why are the porn stars always Republicans?

At a recent fundraiser, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, Damayo gave a brief stump speech before hosting a dance competition.

“I want everyone to know that I’m here to bring back the roots of the Republican Party: freedom, freedom of speech, freedom to party, free enterprise,” Damayo said. “Now it’s time to limbo!”

Melody, we were hoping you would raise the bar…

Damayo, 33, is a Philippines native who quit porn in 2003 with the appropriately named film, “Happy Ending.” She still works as an exotic dancer, but will probably give that up if she’s overseeing Nevada.

“I’m a girl from a small village in a Third World country who came here to realize a dream,” she said, not realizing that the dream would be wet.

In 2004, Damayo dipped her toe into the political pool by volunteering for the re-election campaign of President Bush. “That’s when I realized that this is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life,” she said.

“I’m kind of like the spokesmodel for politics right now,” she added. “That’s fine. Anything to get people to hear the message.”

Although turnout at Damayo’s fundraiser was sparse and most of the folks in attendance were neither Republicans nor registered to vote, Kevin Child, a Republican candidate for county recorder, was there, trying to drum up votes – including Damayo’s – for himself.

“She’s a Republican,” he told the Review-Journal, “and she lives in Clark County. As long as she doesn’t make me take my clothes off, I’ll be fine.”