Kristy Lee Cook waves goodbye to the audience on "American Idol."

Fox

Many of you were probably sad to see Kristy Lee Cook go home Wednesday night. Sure, America’s sweetheart pulled out a couple strong performances the past few weeks (thanks to some savvy song choices) , but let’s get real here. Is she really good enough?

Is Syesha Mercado good enough? Is Brooke White good enough? Is Jason Castro good enough?

At the end of the day, my prediction is that David Archuleta and David Cook will be the last two standing. Who will be David and who will be Goliath is too soon to tell, but given the quick-texting fingers of ‘tweens everywhere it looks like Archuleta will win the fight.

On my blog, "Idol Times," I asked readers to tell me what they see in this kid. I would ask the judges, too, if I thought I’d get a response.

I know he has a great voice. But so does David Cook. So did Michael Johns. Heck, if this competition were solely about who has the best voice then even Ramiele Malubay would still be in it. Her downfall wasn’t her pipes, but her lack of self-confidence, perhaps her youth.

Isn’t it the same for David Archuleta? Beyond his voice, I just don’t see the appeal. I don’t get why girls scream for him every time he takes the stage. It baffles me the way the judges drool over his performances, even the not-so-good ones. Where’s the "it" factor? He’s a timid, awkward teenager blessed with a good voice.

The whole phenomenon reminds me of America’s fascination with Clay Aiken during season two. I never understood that one, either. (Sorry, Claymates!) If David "Boy Wonder" Archuleta wins, will he really blow his way onto the charts? Or will he drop off the face of the Earth the way some other "Idols" have? I guess it depends on your personal definition of idol — and perhaps your demographic.

For me, David Cook is idol material. He has the whole package. He can sing. He can write music. He has stage presence. He’s original. Not many contestants have taken the risks he has by turning classic, well-respected songs into his own, and all the while without completely disfiguring them and leaving them for dead. That’s talent.

Maybe all it really boils down to is personal preference.

No genius there, certainly.

Anyway, I guess we’ll see what happens.

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