Sarah Palin-Joe Biden show a ratings sensation!

Expect network television executives to any minute now start a grass-roots movement with one simple aim: more debates starring Sarah Palin and Joe Biden.

The buzz surrounding the Thursday night forum, the only one they're scheduled to have, translated into whopping viewership numbers, the Nielsen Co. reported today.

The figures not only obliterated the previous record for a debate featuring vice presidential candidates -- the 1984 face-off between incumbent George H.W. Bush and Geraldine Ferraro -- but tied for second place as the most-watched debate ever.

The 1980 gabfest pitting then-President Jimmy Carter against Ronald Reagan remains secure in the top spot, having attracted 80.6 million viewers.

But the estimated 69.9 million watching the Palin/Biden encounter matched the Nielsen number of a 1992 debate that featured Bush (then president), Bill Clinton and Ross Perot.

It had been expected that Thursday's debate would exceed viewership for the initial verbal skirmishing six days earlier between the tops of this year's presidential tickets, John McCain and Barack Obama.

The figure for that debate came in at 52.4 million -- held down, in part, because it occurred on a Friday night, when lots of Americans are otherwise occupied.

But interest surrounding Palin -- both from supporters and detractors -- clearly drove Thursday's numbers to their stratospheric heights. A Nielsen breakdown of viewership in the nation's largest markets showed Baltimore with the highest rating -- 59.1% of the households with televisions in that community were tuned to the debate.

Ranking second, with a 58.3 rating, was the St. Louis market. The debate was held in the area -- at Washington University -- but it already had been established that the community is focused on the campaign. It posted the highest rating (52.1) for the McCain/Obama debate.

The Times' Matea Gold, at our Show Tracker blog, has more on the ratings report.

-- Don Frederick

Speaking of excellent ratings, you can still get free instant alerts on all Ticket items like this flashed direct to your cellphone by registering here free at Twitter.

Art credit: Jennifer Kohnke/ TMS.TMS

Comments

[Olivier G]

The way some folks - journalists and "pundits" included - seem to be convinced that Mrs Palin "won" the debate beats me...
How is that possible?

It just can't be... Unless substance has been devalued to such an extent that it urgently needs an intellectual bailout...

[Martin, GA]

If I recall correctly, she called both for big new oversight of Wall Street and less government regulation in general. How do those two thoughts fit together? Neither Biden nor moderator Gwen Ifill asked her.

[Steve Rodriguez]

Hey Democrats let's flip flop the order, put Biden on top and Obama on the bottom. I feel that Obama and Palin
are an equal match!

[Kelly Breen]

This female greatly enjoyed watching the debate. Biden is a class act. He'll be an asset to the Obama Presidency. Palin's performance highlighted her personality as better fitting a prison matron than a VP. She could play the Cloris Leachman character in a remake of “Young Frankenstein.”

[angel city sensation]

Johnny Mac and Barry Who?

[SN]

Hey can I call you Joe...the next VP of the United States. You betcha!

[Carol]

Who cares how either of them "did?"

Their presidential counterparts both voted for the bailout -- for destroying the dollar and the world economy! Wow!

I don't care if Biden was brilliant or Palin was perfect because I'll be voting for Barr.

[sammy]

She is a joke. I laugh and laugh all the time at her.
Put her in the White House and we will be the
laughing stock of the world.
Go Home to Alaska and stay there. Please do us
a favor and go home.

[Deborah Harry]

ALL I CAN SAY IS "WOW!!"
Who is this chick?
She's radical, awesome, and definitely knows what Americans want!
Boo to the whiney harvard Harvard sissies with slight shoulders and feminized attitudes.
Cheers to Strong men like McCain and strong women like Governor Sarah Palin!

[Allan Wallace]

Since the story was about the ratings, why do the comments keep repeating tired views of the candidates? That is not the issue. We know how you feel, the same way as you felt before the debate.

Your minds were closed then, they remain closed now - be honest, neither side would admit the other party won. Let it be, start writing your response to the next presidential debate instead - then it too will be ready before the action starts.

Perhaps you might try thinking?

Ah, forget it, I'm just kidding - go back to your party's hymnal and sing another chorus instead.

[steve rodriguez]

LA Times when is the last time you wrote
anything even remotely negative about Barrack Obama?
The 2008 presidential election has seen the main stream media and journalism take the vote out of the American peoples hands through deceit and lies!

(Oh, Steve, Steve--There you go again showing everyone that you only read the Sarah/John items. You gotta broaden your interests.)

[VJ Machiavelli]

Why not a "JOINT DEBATE" McCain & Palin vs Obama & Biden that should draw a 100 Million.

VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com

[Crickets]

Woman on woman hate never ceases to amaze me, then these women in the same breath will say I am a feminist. Got news for you, you're not even close. Stop the hate on Palin, there weren't just Democrat women at the bra-burnings. There were women from all political parties. It was women standing up with one voice to say, "I have a voice". Second Pro-choice isn't just one choice. It is respecting every woman's choice. Just because Palin isn't being a Hypocrite. Is standing by her religious beliefs, not lieing to people to say what they want to hear, doesn't mean she's going to take away your rights either. Biden also believes life begins at conception. I thought both candidates did a wonderful job.

I did catch Sarah in one Gaffe. However, I caught Biden in several. France and the USA never chased Hezbellah out of Lebanon. McCain did not vote the same as Obama on the tax hikes. Joe said he's always been for clean coal, he just told voters in OH he was not for clean coal. Sarah was correct when she said Obama said American troops were flying over and killing civilians. He said it in NH. You can find the videos. Joe was wrong when he said Obama never said he'd sit down with leaders and no pre-conditions. He said it many times which you can also find in the primary videos.

Biden forgot to mention when he talked about McCain's plan on health care the same article said under McCain's plan 21 million more people that had never had health care would get it. Joe repeatedly kept saying a surge wouldn't work in Afghanistan, yet he kept calling for a surge in the same sentence when he said more troops were needed there. Or could Joe explain what his definition of a surge is? He misquoted McKiernan, what he actually said was, "There were principles of the surge strategy, including working with tribes, that could be applied in Afghanistan." I'm sure there are more. That said, I expected as much out of Joe, he's always been one that says I caught a fish this big.....You either love him or hate him. He makes me laugh. He's not the problem on the Obama/Biden ticket. Now why has the MSM ignored these gaffes?

[steve rodriguez]

LA Times...thanks for caring!!!!!

[jon]

Joe Biden can do these type of debates in his sleep because he's been doing it for the most part of his life on Capitol HIll. Heck, he's a better debater than Barack Obama because he knows a lot more. Why don't Obama take on the VP against Palin that way we will have two experienced leaders running against each other for President.

[Amy]

Regardless of what you think of Palin, she is obviously out of her league and over her head. McCain's poor judgment for his VP choice is one of many reasons not to vote for him. He is bitter, angry and a hothead. We need our country to be brought together not wedged further apart. Call your friends and family and remind them to register to vote! We need every vote!

[S Dorsett]

I'm from Australia and I watch almost everything about the presidential contest and I am horrified and shocked at how biased the mainstream media is over there.

Sen. Barack Obama looks dangerous and even anti-American from where I am. How can a person like that be the president of a country he clearly despises and trashes. He should be president of the Anti-American League or of an African nation.

I know I can't vote in this election but the outcome will affect the world. I wouldn't even want Obama to mow my lawn....:)

[EUROPE]

Response to Carol at 9.10

"Put her in the White House and we will be the
laughing stock of the world."

YOU ALREADY ARE ! Just by putting her on the ticket and giving her a possibility of coming anywhere near the White House. You might as well put Marge Simpson on the ticket. She at least has half of brain.

WE are laughing all the time!

[Dmitriy]

Biden was just a bystander for this 70 mil audience. This was all about Sarah.

Go Sarah.

[Demitry Ranged]

A direct quote from the transcript of the VP debate:

"BIDEN:
Number two, with regard to bankruptcy now, Gwen, what we should be doing now -- and Barack Obama and I support it

-- we should be allowing bankruptcy courts to be able to re-adjust not just the interest rate you're paying on your mortgage to be able to stay in your home, but be able to adjust the principal that you owe, the principal that you owe.
That would keep people in their homes, actually help banks by keeping it from going under. But John McCain, as I
understand it -- I'm not sure of this, but I believe John McCain and the governor don't support that. "

Bank (or individual, or institution) forks out 250,000 to buyer, to pay for house. Borrower (mortgagee) defaults on loan, declares bankrupcy, and Biden appointed judge not only lowers interset rate on the loan, but drops the principal (amount owed) to say 150,000.
1. So much for America a land of laws.
2. Forget contract law - contracts are now meaningless.

A judge is going to award a defaulter the reward of staying in "your" house, and steel 100,000 from you in the process. If I own that mortgage, tighter gun laws will not shield that judge.
It will however solve the mortgage crisis. There will be no more mortgages. Who would be stupid enough to sign a legally binding contract to supply money to someone who can simply forfeit, go to court and negate your legal document? Even democrats aren't that stupid. OK, most Dem's probably are that stupid, but they probably are too busy buying plasmas to invest in mortgages, or anything that might help the country or secure their financial future. Chairman Barack and Comrade Joe are their for that.
And for the banks that suddenly find their "assets" devalued, not by the market, but by a judge - that is going to keep them in business HOW??. Oh, they can declare bankrupcy, and get the judge to lower the value of your deposits in the bank. Or take away your interest. Or stop you from withrawing your money. But if your deposit was under 250,00, the government will cover your loss. And the other tax payers (those rotten filthy rich sob's) will pay. Which court does the gov't seek redress in, when the gov't declares bankruptcy???
MMMM - Joe. Might have exposed the real you. Karl Marx, and Vladamir Lenin are obviously your favorite authors and role models.

[m]

Obama attended a Madrasa when he was 6 years old. I wish Sarah Palin pointed that out when the Biden brought up the Madrasa problem. Its just scary to have an american president who attended a madrasa during his young years.

[Jerry]


A Few Words of Wisdom
"There are those who use change to promote their careers,
and then there are those who use their careers to promote change."
-Sarah Palin

[adrian]

s dorset you republican fraud. You are not an Australian so go drink a seex-pack of VB,play back yard cricket and bowl underarm to your true-blue mate while wearing flip-flops and a cossie.

Me as a kiwi, I'll go eat some fush and chups.

[Jon]

It's just amazing. Amazing.

How can it not be clear to the world that Palin simply repeated prescripted talking points? Are we that stupid? She never addressed the questions, never used ANY detail, and simply repeated unrelated talking points when detail was called for. Didn't you see that?

She simply recited what sounded like arbitrary sections of a children's book on conservatism. Her performance was an absolute embarrassment not only to our country but to the entire concept of competence.

The fact of the matter is that although the media is focusing on Palin as the story of this debate (and clearly that's what people tuned in to see), the net outcome was a disaster for McCain as Biden trashed him uninterrupted and with virtually no counter point for 90 minutes in front of 70 million Americans. Pure and simple, at the end of the night, more Americans believed that John McCain's policies would be similar to George Bush's policies than did at the beginning. Don't be confused by the smoke and mirrors...the net outcome of the debate was horrible for McCain. This campaign is about as over as it gets in modern politics.

[Carol]

Europe:

I think your comment was directed to Sammy, not me.

America will be the laughingstock of the world no matter which of the major parties get elected. They are both THE SAME, as the bailout effectively proved. It matters not if they say: "I am going to confiscate your property to expiate my guilt over my own ineptitude" or Gosh darn I'm gonna take your stuff to pay for the fact that congress doesn't know it's head from a hole in the ground."

America's integrity will only be restored if the electorate is willing to start thinking outside of the box.