It’s election season in America, and people are now faced with a very pressing question: should they or should they not vote for David Archuleta? Yes, despite this year’s incredibly intense presidential primary saga, we the people must face the reality that more citizens vote for American Idol than for Presidential Elections. Yes, yes, it’s all a bit skewed and non-scientific (unlike a real election, Idol allows repeated voting, both from adults and minors), but the truth remains that Barack, Hilary, and John are nothing compared to Simon, Paula, and Randy. Of course, we could roll our eyes at this sad fact, OR we could put it to good use and learn something from theIdol process.

Lesson 1: Song Choice
Singers on Idol get slammed week after week, season after season, for picking tunes that simply don’t suit them. A bad song won’t necessarily destroy a great singer, but it will reveal the weaknesses of an unqualifiedIdol. Plus, those who pick the right songs week after week truly earn the audience’s respect. It’s like theDaughtry effect. Similarly, presidential candidates have to make sure their songs are equally well selected. So that whole “I Voted Yes For The Iraq War” tune? A little pitchy, dawg.

Lesson 2: Get Your Peeps
An Idol singer is nothing without a rabid fan base. Would an underdog like Taylor Hicks have nabbed the crown without the fiercely loyal members of the Soul Patrol? Unlikely. You gotta have that core support to be worthy of the title, and that extends to the presidential race where a fervent, loyal, and downright infatuated following are essential ingredients for success. A candidate that inspires such unilateral devotion can’t be overlooked. Case in point: Obama. The guy’s got young people pouring out in droves to see him, hear him, vote for him, and support him. It’s to the point where we’re reaching full-on phenomenon status. And let’s face it: if you can’t inspire a funky neologism like “Obamania,” you might as well just hang up the mic.

Lesson 3: Don’t Sass The Judges
Remember Scott Savol? How about Brenna Gethers? Or any of the other umpteen wannabes who ever mouthed off to Simon? Yeah, they’re gone now. Bad attitudes get you nowhere fast on Idol, and no one knows that better than the dozens of hopefuls whose Hollywood dreams came to an abrupt end after criticizing the judges in front of America. The same goes for politics. It’s one thing to get up on the stage and do your thing, but it’s quite another to go negative. So when the bitter Geraldine Ferraro’s of the world pop up in the Clinton camp, you gotta paraphrase the words of recent sassy reject Danny Noriega: some people aren’t likin’ it!

Lesson 4: Never Sing Whitney Houston
Seriously. Don’t.

Lesson 5: Keep Your Head Up When Scandal Surfaces
Like any semi-heated political bout, American Idol is no stranger to scandal. Just recently, finalist David Hernandez found himself on the hot seat when pictures of him stripping surfaced on the Internet. However, he held his head high, refused to get involved in the nonsense, and let his singing speak for itself. The result? He sailed right into the finals. It’s the same in politics. When haters try to sling the mud — whether it be with fear-mongering commercials or turban-centric photos — candidates have to stand above the fray and remind the voters what true leadership is. (Sadly, Hernandez didn’t have the voice to carry him past the Top 12.)

Lesson 6: Make It Your Own
Sometimes, America’s just like Paula Abdul: one big bundle of joy clapping its hands together like a happy seal. We just want to cheer people on and believe the best can happen. And like Paula, we’re most proud when someone makes something their own — when they sing from the heart and win us over with unbridled sincerity. It’s a special gift, and we should appreciate it when we see it. Not everyone on Idol or in politics can harness this intangible quality, but those who have it — well, it’s just like Simon always says: when you’ve got it, you’ve got it. And that makes all the difference.

– Ben Mandelker