Rice was rooting for fellow Birmingham native Taylor Hicks and will soon send him a congratulatory letter, says a State Department official. The Alabama connection helps explain why she has long been glued to the show: last year's runner-up Bo Bice is also a 'Bama boy, as was the winner of the second Idol competition, Ruben Studdard. But Condi is also part of nationwide Idolmania, as Tuesday night's competition drew some 32 million viewers — the biggest audience of the show's five seasons.
According to the State Department official, Idol isn't the only junk food on Condi's TV diet. She also watches Law & Order and was a fan of The Bernie Mac Show before its cancellation. But while there are no plans at the moment for a Condi-Taylor duet, Idol fans cast a total of 63.4 million votes Tuesday night — which host Ryan Seacrest pointed out was "more than any President in the history of our country has ever received." And since 35% of American Idol fans believe the votes cast in the singing competition count as much or more than in a Presidential election, maybe those itching for Condi to run in '08 will try to get her a guest appearance on the show.