One thing is clear: the president surprised many of his advisors at the news conference by goingoutonalimb as far as he did, and he's probably regretting those words right now.
So without further hedging I am going to go outonalimb and predict Phillips will win, not because he is better, but because in recent years the Idol voting has skewed pro-male, which I think will give him the slightest edge in what would otherwise be a dead heat.