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More info on convention ratings

By Jennifer J. Foster

Posted 09/05 at 09:26 PM (0) Comments

Just one more item on the audience draws for the conventions over the past couple of weeks ... from the Associated Press:

As a television draw, John McCain was every bit the equal of Barack Obama.

The GOP presidential candidate attracted roughly the same number of viewers to his convention acceptance speech Thursday as Obama did before the Democrats last week, according to Nielsen Media Research.

It marked the end of an astonishing run where more than 40 million people watched political speeches on three nights by Obama, McCain and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The Republican convention was the most-watched convention on television ever, beating a standard set by the Democrats a week earlier.

Three times in two weeks, political speeches were watched by more people than the “American Idol” finale, the Academy Awards and the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics this year.

“It clearly suggests that a great number of Americans think that who will be the next president is important and worthy of their time,“ said Tom Rosenstiel, a former political reporter and director of the Project for Excellence in journalism.

Television ratings throughout the primary season had already indicated an intense interest in the election, but viewers clearly were more fascinated in the Democratic contest between Obama and Hillary Clinton than the Republican nomination fight.

This week’s ratings, with an average of 34.5 million viewers watching the GOP convention over three days, proved people are becoming more interested in what the Republicans have to say. The Democrats had an average audience of 30.2 million over four days, Nielsen said.

First of all, who would have thought going in that the GOP convention would draw more viewers than the Democratic convention?

And from a global perspective, I am so encouraged that people are taking an intense interest in this election—on both sides. Apathy is the single most aggravating, inexcusable thing in politics, as far as I’m concerned.

More on Palin

By Jennifer J. Foster

Posted 09/05 at 07:39 AM (0) Comments

While I wait for your subject suggestions, there are three items of interest regarding Sarah Palin:

According to the Drudge Report, there’s trouble brewing in Oprah’s world, and it all has to do with the Alaska governor and her meteroic rise to fame:

Oprah Winfrey may have introduced Democrat Barack Obama to the women of America—but the talkshow queen is not rushing to embrace the first woman on a Republican presidential ticket!

... “Half of her staff really wants Sarah Palin on,“ an insider explains. “Oprah’s website is getting tons of requests to put her on, but Oprah and a couple of her top people are adamantly against it because of Obama.“

Drudge adds that one TV exec is warning Winfrey that any “Palin ban could ignite a dramatic backlash!“

In those eloquent words of the teen poets of the 1980s ... DUH!!

I was talking with some folks yesterday about Palin’s debut Wednesday night, and one was of the opinion that, rather than attack Palin himself and run the risk of being perceived as being sexist, Obama will allow women to take the lead on attacking her.

Could Oprah be leading the way?

Also, a new Survey USA poll out this morning shows us why so many women are clamoring for Oprah to host Palin: Fully 60 percent of those who saw her Wednesday night speech gave it an ‘A.‘ But more importantly is Palin’s apparent appeal to independents:

24 hours ago, independent voters nationwide were split on whether Palin was an asset or a liability to McCain’s campaign. Today, by a 2:1 margin, independents say Palin is an asset. Overnight, the percentage calling the Alaska governor an asset to the campaign climbed 13 points; the percentage calling her a liability fell 17 points.

The numbers are similar among moderates, who 24 hours ago viewed Palin as a liability by an 11 point margin; today, Palin is seen as an asset by an 18 point margin.

That last point is interesting given that the Democrats are portraying her, as Paul Begala did, as “the new superstar of the religious right.“

Apparently, independents and moderates don’t see things Begala’s way.

One final note on that survey: Check out the number of independents who say they believe the media is “rooting for Barack Obama.“

It’s more than half.

And how many people did see Palin’s speech, anyway?

Here’s a hint: Her audience was 55 percent larger than Joe Biden’s a week earlier and only 1.2 million viewers fewer than watched Barack Obama’s acceptance speech last week—and that audience had set a new record for a convention speech.

But her audience might have even eclipsed Obama’s.

Friday morning

By Jennifer J. Foster

Posted 09/05 at 07:02 AM (1) Comments

Heads up, everybody ... there’s a new poll question below.

Now that the conventions have wrapped up, I’m asking you: Which party do you think had the best party?

Scroll down to vote.

Also, let’s try something new this morning. Let me know in comments what you’d like to read about here today. I can’t call it an “open thread,“ but if it catches on, perhaps we’ll call it “Town Hall Friday” or “Open Mic Soapbox” or something like that.

No topic is off-limits, so let’s go!