'American Idol' v. Congress: Which Is the Bigger Popularity Contest?
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American Idol runner up Clay Aiken has decided to run for U.S. Congress in his home state of North Carolina.
So it's probably a good time to finally clear up the confusion: Is politics really like "American Idol"?
Since the show took the country by storm in 2002, it's not uncommon to hear politics compared to an Idol-style popularity contest-and not necessarily in a good way.
On the other hand, "American Idol" is about as undemocratic as they come.
There's no Simon Cowell or Paula Abdul to give Aiken a quick pass into the general election from a crowded Democratic primary, and when America votes, it's one person, one vote in this country - no text messaging or phone calls from the voting booth allowed.
But for what it's worth, let's take a look at where reality TV and political reality intersect.
| American Idol | Contest | North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District Election |
| Tens of thousands of contestants audition, a few hundred move to the next round | Auditions | So far, Aiken and two Democrats have announced they'll run against one incumbent, Rep. Renee Ellmers, who is facing a GOP challenger. |
| A yes from a majority of the judges will get you a ticket to Hollywood! | Golden ticket | Meet the constitutional requirements and the state residency requirements to run for Congress and you're in! |
| A week's worth of grueling singing, song writing, and group performances to separate the wheat from the chafe. | Hollywood Week | The Democratic primary. Aiken will face debates and old fashioned campaigning. |
| The top 12 performers | Finalists | One Democrat and one Republican face off in the general election. |
| Season 2: Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson | The judges | The media |
| Text message and phone. Voting multiple times is allowed. | America votes | One person, one vote at the ballot box. |