David Cook brings hope to this election

Man, I really wanted David Cook to win American Idol. I was bowled over by his performance every week. I really love most of the songs he sang. He has feelings and he talked about them. He is intelligent - he looked for and used or adapted unique arrangements of songs. He is a 'rocker' (ick I hate that term) with a personality and not a bland elevator music singer. He lovingly crafted each performance.
Then there was David Archuletta. Cute, young, Mormon, straight-arrow. Beautiful voice, but with performance skills not as great. Star Search winner. THE ESTABLISHMENT CHOICE.

When Simon Cowell called the final night a "knock out" for David Archuletta, I was galvanized. I voted for David Cook 2,378 times. My kids and my phone records can testify. I called for four hours sitting at the kitchen table with three cell phones and a land line. I got Katy to call from California. I was indignant, David Cook deserved to win!

I had the same reaction when John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate. Before that, I had faith that maybe good was going to triumph over evil, that God had given us Barack Obama to choose as an alternative to the horrors of the Republican Right. Sarah Palin changed that. Evil and lies and darkness and despair all over again. Not only did I give money that I can't afford to Obama, but to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and MoveOn's voter registration campaign as well. (Sorry PA Democrats and Patrick Murphy - I will try to donate to you next month.)

The good news is that DAVID COOK BEAT OUT DAVID ARCHULETTA BY 12 MILLION VOTES!!! Good did triumph over not as good (no way I can call sweet little David Archuletta evil). We can only hope that there were millions of people who saw the value of originality and independent thinking and voted for David Cook, and not just that those who appreciate Cook for what he is voted thousands of times. Because in presidential politics, it is one registered voter, one vote.

Here is an article on Slate that says it better than I can.

BOTTOM LINE: Americans -- presumably non-intellectual, American-Idol-watching Americans -- showed some discernment by voting for David Cook as American Idol. Hopefully I am 'misunderestimating' the number of people who will fall for the McCain/Palin lies.

An interesting twist: there was actually an article (cannot remember where I read it, though I did send in a comment) looking at this situation the other way - with David Cook as the established guy and Archuletta the contender.

BTW, at the American Idols concert in Wilkes Barre on Monday, Sept. 8, I sat next to a woman who said she considered herself a redneck, but would NOT vote for McCain /Palin.