OK, not really. My phone still redials, thank goodness, since I'll be needing it to vote for David Cook on American Idol's finale Tuesday night. I've never been nervous during a vote-off night on AI before, but damn, I really, really wanted David to make it into the finals.

Why? For some reason, for the first time ever, a singer on American Idol has really captured all of my musical tastes to a T. The man seems to be as real as they come, an alt rocker to the core without trying too hard to be alternative. He's authentic. He rearranges the songs he chooses until they match the versions he hears in his head, and then delivers them in an amazingly perfect voice.

To me, that's REAL. Not a manufactured singer that is going to go into the studio and sing a bunch of packaged songs delivered with a pink bow on top. He's got real stuff to say and he's going to say it his way. For me, it just doesn't get any better than that.

Is he going to win American Idol? I can't say. Winners on reality television programs are often chosen for reasons that defy my logic. In this case, though, David Archuleta, is talented and, more importantly, unoffensive. To steal one of Simon's lines, "I don't mean to be rude, but..." David A. (known as Archie to American Idol addicts) is a technically talented singer... and that's where it ends. He's young. He's happy. He's free of the angst that often comes along with true artistry at that age. His songs tend to sound alike. He never bricks a performance. These things are plusses to many members of the AI voting public. I'm sure he has a devout following of little girls (and some of their moms) who make it a priority on post-Idol on Tuesdays to vote their little fingers off.

David Cook ("Cookie" in AI fandom - yea, I'm still trying to get used to that) speaks to exactly the sort of people that DON'T normally vote on AI. This means he might not win, but he should. Creativity, authenticity, and intelligence should win American Idol this time around.

Go David Cook!