Biden-Palin debate smashes ratings records

It’s official: Thursday’s debate between Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was must-see TV.

Just shy of 70 million people tuned in for the 90-minute forum, 34% more than watched last week’s showdown between White House hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama. The figures from Nielsen Media Research don’t include viewership on C-SPAN or PBS, which estimated that it had 3.5 million viewers.

It was by far the most-watched vice presidential debate since Nielsen began tracking audiences in 1960. The previous record was set in 1984, when George H.W. Bush and Geraldine Ferraro squared off before 56.7 million people.

The Biden-Palin debate even rivaled the most-watched presidential debates. Its viewership tied that of the 1992 forum between Bush, Bill Clinton and Ross Perot, the second-highest rated in history. (The most-watched was in 1980, when 80.6 million people watched Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan face off.)

More than a dozen networks aired the debate, but the largest share of the audience tuned in to ABC, which drew 13.13 million viewers. That’s the second debate win in a week for the network, which also had the biggest viewership during last week’s presidential forum. NBC and CBS also got big ratings, attracting 12.82 million and 11.1 million viewers, respectively. Fox followed the other broadcast networks with 4.5 million.

Viewership for the only debate between the two vice presidential candidates set records on cable news. Fox News drew 11.1 million viewers with its coverage, the highest-rated telecast in the history of the network. (The last record was set in March 2003, when 9.7 million people tuned in to Fox News to watch President Bush’s address about the war in Iraq.) CNN garnered 10.7 million viewers, including more than 3 million ages 18 to 34 -- the biggest tune-in for that age group in cable news history. MSNBC had 4.4 million.

-- Matea Gold

Comments

[john gaskins]

egad she says "say it aint so joe"

[EC]

Moderator: Governor Palin, what color are your shoes?

Palin: That's a darn good question. As a soccer mom from an energy producing state like Alaska, I think that most middle-class Americans who are sitting around their six-packs wondering how they will put their kids thru college agree that offshore drilling is the only solution to end General McClellan's nuclear plans in Iran. Iraq. Well, you know ... one of those "I" countries.

[CATimes]

Let the bashing continue. All Palin Bashing...All the time.

There is not one Republican outside of Fox that has snowball chance in hell for a job. The media is deciding the news. Moving towards a 1 party system....

[Jackson]

Gov. Palin met my expectations during the debate. However, I wish the moderator had asked
her why she supports shooting wolves and bears from aircraft. If McCain-Palin get into the
White House, Palin, the Mother of All Nature Haters, will carry on the anti-environment
attitude of Pres. Bush, the Father of All Nature Haters. Looks like the flying yahoos in
Alaska will have their way.

[MCC]

Why is it that although Palin seemed to talk so much, she really said so little? it reminded me of when I used to BS papers in high school with excessive and unnecessary wording just so I could fill out 2 pages. And her accent made me feel like I was watching Fargo after a while.

[Jim Tuile]

I’m voting Democrat because I believe the Government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.
I’m voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.
I’m voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they’re doing because they now think we’re good people.
I’m voting Democrat because I believe that people who can’t tell us if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don’t start driving a Prius.

[Doug]

"Well Gwen I don't wanna answer that question and ya can't make me!"
I wish the election was tomorrow and (Maverick) LOL Palin would permanently go back to her people.

[fred mendez]

nuclear.nuclear. NOT nucular!
why is that word so hard to say correctly?!

[Gerard]

I didn't know you could not answer direct questions by returning to some other prepared response to a different question over and over again(i.e. energy producing experience). I think that is called "losing the debate," when you do not answer a direct question or re direct your answer to a previous subject. I know this "Hockey Dad" will not vote for a "Hockey Mom" who says "I don't know, I've only been at this for 5 weeks." And what is with having your infant out at a rally at like 11pm, shouldn't your her preggers teen daughter be getting some on the job training babysitting the kid instead of using the child as a marketing tool.

[Amy]

Have great respect for Gwen Ifill but she was walking on eggshells because of that darned book coming out and that was exasperating. As a moderator she did not pull Palin back in to answer those questions she avoided. In fact didn't even make Palin explain what she did say so those of us watching had no idea what she was talking about. Clearly over her head and out of her league. Call your friends and family and remind them to register to vote! Join up in the battleground states- all hands on deck to avoid the last 8 years being repeated! Don't believe the polls, keep going, 1 month to go!

[Kevin Morgan]

Palin Promises to Follow in Cheney's Footsteps

The most important question of the evening turned out to be the question most ignored by the pundits. When asked about the status of VP in relation to the constitution, Palin made it clear that she would follow Dick Cheney's lead. This should worry America. Palin, like Cheney, doesn't respect accountability and would abuse the office if we were insane enough to trust her with it. While the corporate media focuses on her "folksy" language, congratulating the candidate for finally putting together a cognitive sentence, they overlooked what it is she said about being VP. Palin's zero understanding of the constitution made clear she intends to take liberties in the mold of Dick Cheney.

IFILL: Governor, you mentioned a moment ago the constitution might give the vice president more power than it has in the past. Do you believe as Vice President Cheney does, that the Executive Branch does not hold complete sway over the office of the vice presidency, that it it is also a member of the Legislative Branch?

PALIN: Well, our founding fathers were very wise there in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility there in the office of the vice president. And we will do what is best for the American people in tapping into that position and ushering in an agenda that is supportive and cooperative with the president's agenda in that position. Yeah, so I do agree with him that we have a lot of flexibility in there, and we'll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/02/debate.transcript/

I find it incredible that this election is regarded as perhaps the most important in history, while the media refuses to focus on what little substance has come to light from either camp. Coverage of Sarah Palin is akin to that of Brittany Spears, while America faces the toughest four years ahead since the great depression. From her answer to what role the VP would play, Palin has warned that she would be a loose cannon who let the "flexibility" of the office of VP accommodate her long history of abusing power. Palin like Cheney already refuses to participate in an investigation into her violations of law as Governor. Like Cheney she refuses to allow access to public records and emails of official business. The irresponsibility of the media in providing voters with the facts we need to make an informed vote is another symptom of a system that is corrupted with selfish interests from every corner.

[carol]

The Ferraro/Bush debate actually had a higher percentage of viewers based on the 1984 US population which was about 50 million less than now. I don't know if the media is liberal or conservative (as everyone argues about); the thing that bothers me most is that the media is sensationalist. This article should have reported the numbers as percentage of the population, not raw numbers of viewers. That way we know the truth that the Biden/Palin debate was not as popular as the Ferraro/Bush debate.

[ric]

Question for McCain for Tuesday's debate . . . it's common knowledge the Republicans know how to turn on the nasty campaign machine and dirty tricks when down in the polls. Everyone knows these players well . . . Lee Atwater, Karl Rove, and now Steve Schmidt.

America right now is depressed, demoralized, and hurting big time. The last thing we want to see for the next four weeks are tens of millions of dollars spent on nasty commercials, polling site tricks, Swift Boat antics, etc.

Would you, Mr. McCain, refrain from this type of campaigning from this point forward? You are the one that decides to go or not go down this path. And, please, don't justify doing it by claiming you would only be telling the truth or dirty little facts. America has heard enough bad news to last our lifetimes.

Just tell us what YOU stand for and leave the negative statements behind. We're smart enough to sort through the facts and our own opinions.

I hope both parties read this. Let's get the message to both candidates. Maybe someone will ask this question on Tuesday?

[VA Blueblood]

Excellent point, Carol.

I agree that most media is actually quite professional. And it just so happens that their profession is still a business.

[Jackielou]

I totally agree with ric's posting at 9:48 am this morning. I feel the same. We do not need the negative campaigns telling US "The American People" what we shouldn't like about their opponents. WE "The American People" need to hear positive things about what our candidates want to do for US. McCain worries me because 8 years ago when he was running against "W" he believed in "better things"... now he is older and has been bought and paid for by the Republican machine and all he thinks about is that this is his last chance to be President. He sold his soul to the Republican machine and Palin is instrumental in forging his way. He lost his soul. We can not allow him to take charge of our country. Obama is a good man and we have to put him behind the helm of our country to lead us in a positive way for ALL AMERICANS not just the richest. He is the Mr. Smith goes to Washington... he is still naive enough to make THE DIFFERENCE....

[DDA]

I’m voting republican because even though they have been in control of the federal government for most of the last 8 years, they are the party of mavericks. I’m sure they will fix everything now.
I’m voting republican because I know if a terrorist is hiding in Mexico we will invade Canada and stay until we win!!
I’m voting Republican because we need someone like James Watt looking out for the environment instead of all these crazy scientists who base the conclusions on something as shaky as replicated research.
I’m voting Republican so my teenagers are taught the abstinence only policy implemented so well by Sarah Palin.

[Les Livingstone]

The millions of viewers who watched the debate did not come to view career Washington insider, Joe Biden.

After Katie Couric's hatchet job on Palin, I expected Palin to melt into tears and run off the stage like the hysterical woman she is.

Bashing Sarah Palin is now the past time of the liberals and their media mouth pieces.

We in middle America have learned to ignore the liberal media on the East and West Coast. In 2004, John Kerry won all three debates and lost the election. Liberals are in for another shocker!