RNO Roundtable: Can Danielle Win?

Well, we haven't had an RNO Roundtable article in a little while, but now seems like an appropriate time. There has been some debate on whether or not Danielle can actually pull off a win on Big Brother 3. Some think she can do it while others are absolutely certain she cannot. Let's take a look at what some of the RealityNewsOnline writers have to say in answer to the question: Can Danielle win? David Bloomberg, Mike DeGeorge, Peggy Keller, Phil Kural, Susan Schechter, Andrea Shuman, and Sting7 contribute their thoughts. (Warning: Spoilers of this week's nominations.)

David Bloomberg:

It has been said by some that Danielle has been dishonest, disgraceful, disingenuous, and disturbing. Supposedly, a number of evicted houseguests have watched the shows and decided that she should not win. But I have my doubts. I guess I just haven't seen what Danielle has done as being all that terrible.

Some people have gone so far as to compare Danielle to last year's winner, Will - the evil doctor. But I just don't see it. Danielle has not lied like Will did, has not been egotistical like Will was. The only point of comparison I see is that she has played a good game like Will did. However, Will was lucky enough to be up against Nicole at the end of the game - by which time she had turned into psycho-Nicole and was disliked by many in the house. Danielle may not have this luxury - she may well end up against somebody who is a hell of a lot more likeable than Nicole.

Some have said that Danielle's problem is her general attitude and the way she carries herself, acting as though everyone else is dumber then she is, and treating people as such. I'm sorry, but I just haven't seen that. Sure, she manipulates people, but I haven't seen her treating them as stupid.

Now, it may be true that some of the other contestants will not be happy with the way Danielle has been using Jason as her pawn. Personally, I think it's just good game play - and it's not like she had total control over him (or else he'd have nominated Roddy). I think the one place this may harm her is if it appears she was being hypocritical for accusing Roddy of manipulation while she was doing it at the very same time.

So let's look at her possible opponents. Up against Amy, she wins - people are mad that Amy was even allowed back in the game, and her drunken and selfish behavior has not exactly helped matter.

Up against Lisa or Jason, Danielle loses. Lisa gets at least the votes of Eric, Roddy, Tonya, Amy, and probably Chiara, Gerry, and Marcellas. Jason gets a whole slew of votes 'cus he's just such a danged nice guy.

Up against Marcellas, Danielle has a good chance; if you were Gerry, would YOU vote for Marcellas? I sure wouldn't. And Marcellas has alienated others as well - especially with his recent treatment of Amy.

But I don't think any of these losses are because Danielle is horrible - they are simply because the others are more well-liked. I think Danielle has been playing well, but she made a bad decision early on -- you don't strive to bring some of the MOST-liked people with you to the end. That may be a recipe for going far, but it is NOT a recipe for winning.

Peggy Keller:

Dani has been the most shrewd player of Big Brother yet. She sits back and lets others do her dirty work, throwing Head of Household competitions so that her alliances can put who she wants up on the block, and then reeling in the votes to get them out. It became obvious when Chiara was booted exactly who was in charge. Amy wanted her gone, and Danielle granted her wish, like some evil wizard of CBS. Dani has played the game with cunning and skill and for that, she deserves to go to the end. But does Dani deserve to win and can she get the votes necessary to accomplish it?

Well, it depends on who you ask. Gerry, as soon as he came out of the house, told Julie than he wanted Dani to win the game. But then Gerry went home and watched all the shows, read up on what was happening, and decided there is very little left to like about Dani. Chiara was the same way. She was thoroughly disappointed in Dani. Had Dani not used the Diary Room as her own personal dumping ground for her feelings about the other houseguests, she would probably walk away from the show as the winner. The conniving and backstabbing that appeared on the shows could still be considered part of the game, but when she told the cameras what her plans were, how she thought she was so smart, how she used people, and her own personal feelings about the others - which were routinely filled with spite - Dani lost the game.