# Ruben or Clay? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 20, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427 "2003-05-20T23:57:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/1 "2003-05-20T23:57:22Z")
Who is gonna win? I say Clay ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/2 "2003-05-21T00:14:25Z")
RUBEN!!! (note where I live…sorry. I’m biased!) ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/3 "2003-05-21T00:14:53Z")
Watching Clay right now. Wow! That first song seems like it was written just for him! Go Clay! ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/4 "2003-05-21T00:15:23Z")
I predict Clay, which I think is tragic ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/5 "2003-05-21T00:16:21Z")
Yeah, damn, it’s a tough choice! Thank God they will both have careers once this is over. ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/6 "2003-05-21T00:44:50Z")
Ruben’s song just now sold it for me, though I didn’t need any convincing anyway. There are a zillion Clays in the world, he’s good but not all that interesting, and he uses waaaaaaaaay too many vocal inflections. Ruben has style and is more entertaining to listen to, which in the end is the point of the contest. Let’s see if Clay hits the high note…nope he took it down, but went up for the note at the end, an admirable variation. Still, Ruben is tops in my book. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@Mr\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/7 "2003-05-21T01:00:52Z")
Ruben is great but feels kinda…normal. Clay stands out to me. He could tone down his broadway stylings true but he is great nonetheless. It would be incredibly interesting to see how they would market him. I read an article on [ew.com](http://ew.com) a few months back, saying that they predicted Clay would win because their chatboards were overrun with Clay-centric messages and the same thing happened to Kelly. (Sorry can’t link as [ew.com](http://ew.com) is now an AOL members/subscribers only site) Don’t know how much faith you can put in that though. I’m absolutely on pins and needles, it could really go either way. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/8 "2003-05-21T01:25:00Z")
Is this finally over tonight? Please tell me it is. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/9 "2003-05-21T01:28:40Z")
Tomorrow, **Stinkpalm**. Patience. As much as I like Ruben, he HAS been coasting lately – he started off worlds better than the others, but Clay has improved a LOT, and while I’m pretty torn, I think Clay’s gonna get it. He’s obviously been getting some good vocal coaching. I’m not going to be unhappy either way, but if I get through I think I’m going to vote for Clay. I think. ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/10 "2003-05-21T01:32:01Z")
I believe that Clay goes by Muhammad Ali these days. What? A Tv show about what? You have **got** to be kidding me. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/11 "2003-05-21T01:33:15Z")
heh heh Cassius…cute. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/12 "2003-05-21T01:41:21Z")
I think Clay is going to win. So does my 82-year-old mother, who confessed to me last week that she’s been watching the show. She loves Ruben’s voice, but thinks Clay is the better singer. I agree; I think Clay has grown so much during the competition, and while Ruben will have a great career, he really hasn’t changed that much from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/13 "2003-05-21T01:41:53Z")
I was impressed with Ruben in the beginning but what has he done for us lately? He sings the same thing all the time and he doesn’t display the vocal range that Clay does. Ruben’s songs: The first was just his usual. Imagine was not that good and he was out of breath on his last song yet they praised him up and down for all his performances. Clay: First song, hard to say because no one’s ever heard it before. I didn’t like the flow of the song but that was the song not him and he still sang the hell out of it. Here, There and Everywhere - not his best but still good, I think he was trying to sing it a bit too high. Bridge Over Troubled Waters, I would have like to heard it sound more like it was originally sung and without the gospel singers, but again he sung the hell out of it. I’d buy a cd of Clay’s songs, I’d just download one of Ruben’s since they are all the same. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/14 "2003-05-21T01:44:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by butrscotch \* > \*\*I think Clay is going to win. So does my 82-year-old mother, who confessed to me last week that she’s been watching the show. She loves Ruben’s voice, but thinks Clay is the better singer. I agree; I think Clay has grown so much during the competition, and while Ruben will have a great career, he really hasn’t changed that much from the beginning. \*\* That is so damn adorable, bless her lil’ heart. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/15 "2003-05-21T02:08:53Z")
After hearing Unchained Melody, I’ve gotta say Clay. Incredible range. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/16 "2003-05-21T02:14:30Z")
I like them both, but I hope Clay wins. I have been trying to vote, but I can’t get through. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/17 "2003-05-21T02:55:36Z")
Clay. A trillion times Clay. It’s the eyes… I mean voice! Yes…voice… ---
**Author:** ![lillyflower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@lillyflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lillyflower)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/18 "2003-05-21T03:07:06Z")
**CLAY CLAY CLAY CLAY!!!** I think both have talent but I just have to say that Clay has stolen my heart. I think he has an amazing voice and to second what some other dopers have said, he has grown sooo much over this cometition. Ruben also has a great voice but he does not have the variety and range that clay does. I thought that both did a wonderful job in the final. I can’t wait for tomarrow. I will be ok if either wins because I think at this point both have it made, but my heart is truely rooting for CLAY:D ---
**Author:** ![lillyflower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@lillyflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lillyflower)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/19 "2003-05-21T03:09:40Z")
I would also like to add that I have really admired the kind spirit of Clay, working with special education children and all. I think that is wonderful:D 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![annieclaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@annieclaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annieclaus)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427/20 "2003-05-21T03:12:09Z")
I hope Clay wins. I think Ruben will win. No big whoop either way! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruben-or-clay/176427.md?page=2)