Idol Thoughts

Yesterday I did an interview with Kevin McCullough on WMCA in New York. We were supposed to discuss a chapter from my book Credo: Believing in Something to Die For. But we got sidetracked because Kevin started talking about American Idol and who would be voted off last night. He pointed out that Taylor Hicks and I are both from Alabama, we both speak with a bit of a Southern accent, and we both have a little hitch when we walk. So he introduced me as having a lot in common with Taylor Hicks, so much so that he thought Taylor and I might be the same person. "After all, we've never seen you together in the same room at the same time." That's certainly true. It's also true that a friend posted Taylor's picture and mine side by side so everyone could see the resemblance. I guess I can see it a little bit, but I told Kevin there were two fundamental differences: Taylor can sing and I can't, and if I tried to dance like he did on Jailhouse Rock last week, I'd break an arm or a leg.

Kevin correctly predicted that Elliott would be voted off AI last night. I don't think anyone expected the vote to be so close. And you wonder what would have happened if they had shown the videos of the Taylor, Katharine and Elliott going home on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. Elliott's was easily the most touching and heartwarming.

But he's gone now. And I am cheering for my fellow Alabamian, Taylor Hicks. I don't have any faith in my predictive powers, however. I've been wrong the last two years about the final winner.

You can reach the author at  ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.