Hillary Clinton's widely popular Sopranos spoof, which got 500,000 hits in one day, may have started a disturbing trend – candidates shamelessly piggy backing on pop culture.

Tom Tancredo's campaign has announced the "Iowa's Idol" contest and asked Iowans 17 or younger to submit demo tapes of themselves showcasing their musical ability. Ten finalists will perform in front of a panel of three "celebrity" judges (as yet unannounced), and the winner will be crowned at the Ames straw poll in August. Tancredo has been polling one or two percent in Iowa.

Tancredo's press secretary, Alan Moore, said the campaign will promote the contest on talk radio and in newspaper advertising. And while seemingly completely unrelated to politics, Moore said the contest was designed to be "a gateway" for young people.

"The main purpose is to get young people involved in the political process," Moore told Election Central. "They're not just going to come and sing, but they're also going meet the candidate and listen to him talk.... It's a gateway is what is."