Presidential politics, "Idol" style

Voters of America, "Idol"-watchers, bear me out on my latest theory. (And listen now, before events make my ideas obsolete.) I'm here to declare that Hillary Clinton is the Carly Smithson of the presidential race.

Think about it: Both are experienced, talented, incredibly hardworking -- to the point that you can see the gears straining as they perform. Both approached their contests with a my-turn sense of entitlement. And yet both have been unable to fully connect with the audience, at least not broadly and consistently. Hillary and Carly are proof that popularity relies on something intangible, uncalculatable.

As for Barack Obama, the analogy isn't so easy this season. David Archuleta comes the closest, in the sense that he's a born-natural talent who likes to peddle hope and inspiration. But Obama doesn't project that dancing-bear sadness. Unlike Young David, he's here by choice.