Did Simon Cowell Make The Right X Factor Moves?

So now we know that  Paula, Nicole and Steve Jones are out at the X Factor. The only one that surprised me a little was Paula Abdul. I'm not saying it didn't need to be done, I just thought Simon would stick with her because of their relationship. Steve Jones never really found a way to endear himself to the audience, and Nicole really dropped the ball with Rachel Crow, and her "battles" with Simon were ridiculous.

Word has it that Paula was supposed to be the goofy one, and that apparently didn't work out. Plus, I think she had a tough time guiding the groups. Based on the ratings, I don't think there was a question that something needed to be done. All things considered, I think Simon did what he had to do.