ESTIMATED 55 MILLION WATCH: TV VIEWERSHIP FOR DEBATE OVER 2000 LEVELS

[jefferson_dem]

Good news: a huge number of people saw our guy stomp on the chimp!

From SLUDGE:

FLASH: FIRST DEBATE 37.7 RATING/45 SHARE: PRELIM NUMBERS OVERNIGHTS: NBC WINS COVERAGE WITH 12.2 RATING/17 SHARE, CBS 8.7/12, ABC 8.2/1, FOX 3.6/5... ... In 2000, NIELSEN estimated live, tape-delayed telecasts of first debate on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC averaged 31.7 rating/49 share, seen by avg 46.6 million viewers...

[lancdem]

1. Excellent!

I had heard viewership was expected to be high.

[fujiyama]

2. I think

we can draw insight into how turnout will be from last time based on the viewership...and I think that the turnout will help dems a lot.

[featherman]

3. This was the big one and most people watching saw Kerry win

The next two will have significantly fewer viewers if the past is any indication. Kerry did it right and Bush blew it for the one that counts the most.

[qwlauren35]

4. That's for sure...

It was the hype that made me watch. And frankly, 45 minutes of Bush is more than I usually tolerate. I felt ill at the end.

So, NO. I won't be watching any more debates. It's clear that I can get transcripts on line. I don't have to sit through Bush making an ass of himself.

I would bet that there are others who feel the same way in both camps. No one is going to want to see Bush get stomped again, no matter what side they are on.

But the fact that Bush got stomped by Kerry is not going to be lost on the American public. The simple question is what they will do with that clear fact.

[wishlist]

5. I predict high viewership for next week's debates too

I bet a lot of viewers only watched the first half (where Bush stumbled around badly saying the same old things) but got bored and tuned out because the focus was entirely on foreign policy and national security. Most of these viewers plus ones who missed this one will probably tune back in next week in order to hear their stands on the other campaign issues and to see some sparks fly between Cheney and Edwards on Tuesday night.