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Opinion: Friday’s Barack Obama-John McCain debate not a big draw

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For much of America, Friday nights in the fall mean one thing: High school football.

And even for Americans with no interest in that particular diversion, Friday nights -- in any season -- mean it’s time to put the work week behind and get out of the house.

So it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that for all the intense interest surrounding the 2008 presidential campaign -- and for all the extra drama added by the financial crisis now framing the election -- estimated viewership of Friday night’s debate between John McCain and Barack Obama set no records.

In fact, it didn’t even crack the Top Ten list for such enounters.

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The Nielsen Co. reported today that about 52.4 million folks viewed the McCain/Obama faceoff.

The record it didn’t come close to breaking: the 80.6 million who dialed in for the 1980 Jimmy Carter/Ronald Reagan debate.

The Times’ Matea Gold has more on the viewership figures at our Show Tracker blog.

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