Idol Surprise

As everyone in my house knows, I have been pulling for David Cook all season to win American Idol, but I was certain - certain - that David Archuleta would was going to actually win the thing. The kid has an incredible voice, and I thought the young teenage girls would absolutely swarm the phones with votes. As my daughter says, "He is so cute!"

When I heard of the unprecedented high number of votes I was even more sure of it.

I was happy that the two people I identified two months ago as the two best actually made it to the finals. That was a first for me.

I talked to my daughter Heather Wednesday afternoon. I said that my take on Tuesday night's finale was that David Cook just wasn't the sort of guy to try to win by singing the BIG songs that would be needed to wow the audience. In fact, I said, I thought that he thought that the other David was going to win, and that he was cool with that. I actually really liked all three of his songs Tuesday night, even though they weren't "blow you away" type songs. He did a great job with "I still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," a song picked for him by Clive Davis, which he sang in a very cool reflective manner. The new and just written second song "Dream Big" I thought was really good as well, but again, not a show stopper type song. And his version of "The World I Know!" was sublime and beautiful, yet, again, restrained. I would buy a CD of his in a New York minute, well, if I had any money.

Archuleto could not have done better Tuesday night. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a big crowd pleasing kind of song, and he sang it perfectly and with nuance and passion. He really has an amazing voice. I was most impressed by the second song, the "new" song "In This Moment." It was, simply put, beautiful, if possibly a little self indulgent. But he knocked it out of the park. I wasn't as impressed with his take on "Imagine" but everyone else seemed to be.

Archuleto has more vocal range (as in being able to hit more notes on the scale) and a silkier voice. Cook has more vocal range as in being able to sing all sorts of genres well, and a more powerful voice.

I agreed with Simon - either of them would have perfectly deserving.

But I wanted Cook because I personally just love his voice and the kinds of music he seems drawn to sing, and because I like him personally.

I have been really touched by his friendship with the other contestants, especially how he has taken Archuleto under his wing. I really enjoyed watching him grab David A and pull him over and kind of nuggy him. They seemed to really admire and respect each other. That has not always been the case with Idol contestants. It may not make for good television drama. But I like it.

I have a feeling that Cook thought Archuleto was going to win, and he was cool with that, and didn't want to steal the stage. That's my read. Archuleto could not have done better Tuesday night. In the end some grown ups and older teens and maybe even some boys must have voted.

I wish both David's great success.