Fresh fruit and NASCAR tickets were on the line as Gov. Mike Easley and Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue placed bets on the outcome of the season finale of “American Idol,” the popular Fox TV talent show.
Both had campaigned to bring the “Idol” title home, with Easley encouraging Tar Heel viewers to vote for 19-year-old Fantasia Barrino of High Point, and Perdue urging Georgians to support 16-year-old Diana DeGarmo of Snellville.
The two teens were to perform three songs each Tuesday night before a live, nationally televised audience in Los Angeles, and the phone lines were to be open for four hours — twice as long as usual — to give fans plenty of time to cast their votes. The winner was to be announced during Wednesday night’s two-hour finale.
Easley, a Democrat, wagered two VIP ticket packages to an Oct. 16 NASCAR race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord. His bet also included a flat of 16 pints of blueberries from a Johnston County nursery.
Perdue, a Republican, countered with two VIP ticket packages to an Oct. 31 NASCAR race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He also bet a bushel of peaches.
“The first lady and I are digging out our recipe for peach preserves,” Easley said. “We might even send Gov. Perdue a jar as a thank you when we win.”