Idol ratings drop -- Did they shoot themselves in the foot in shooting down Haley?

[Miguel]

It was this unfair criticism that finally caused Haley to stand-up to Randy's tirade

She's a smart girl. She knew he was trying to undermine her and she was likely going home if she let his misstatements stand. Even after her corrections, there were no guarantees as her haters saw it as another example of her "bad attitude." Randy drove people to support her when he repeated his criticism in a shout and minutes later declared everyone tied for first but Haley. He later had the gall to cite this as an example of how they helped Haley.

The average viewer who just tunes for the entertainment is probably less aware of all the manipulation.

I agree, but it was so blatant with Haley last year many more people became aware of it than before. Even mainstream publications made note of how every contestant was treated with kid gloves but Haley. So I expect Idol to take note of the complaints and have the judges provide more substantive comments about everyone this year.