Think Progress

Record viewership for last night’s vice presidential debate.

Nielsen reports:

logo434.jpg On Tuesday night, 69.9 million viewers tuned in to watch the sole vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin.

The Biden-Palin matchup set a new V.P. debate TV audience record, beating the previous high of 56.7 million viewers set by the debate between Rep. Geraldine Ferraro and then-V.P. George H.W. Bush in 1984*.

Biden and Palin’s debate also surpassed the first presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain, which drew an audience of 52.4 million last Friday night.

During the last presidential election in 2004, the vice presidential debate between V.P. Dick Cheney and Sen. John Edwards drew 43.6 million viewers.

Forty-five percent of households in the top local tv markets watched the debate. ABC had the top broadcast last night. Fox News topped the cable networks, with its “highest viewership in the network’s 12 year history.”



19 Responses to “Record viewership for last night’s vice presidential debate.”

  1. 5th Estate says:

    “And I halped!”


  2. Chocolate Jesus says:

    any speculation about palins iq? my personal guess is high eighties, low 90’s….sickening to see the moderators so neutered last night, heaven forbid palin be asked to do something other than spout off wholly off topic talking points..


  3. zuch says:

    What percentage of them noticed that Palin was reading all her answers off cue cards?

    What percentage of them were distracted by the wink?

    Cheers,


  4. Zooey says:

    69.9 million viewers witnessed Winky Barbie make an ass out of herself.


  5. ralph the wonder llama says:

    zuch Says:
    What percentage of them noticed that Palin was reading all her answers off cue cards?

    What percentage of them were distracted by the wink?

    The wink? You mean, she winked at YOU, too?

    I thought it was just me.

    … that slut!


  6. ralph the wonder llama says:

    zuch Says:
    What percentage of them noticed that Palin was reading all her answers off cue cards?

    What percentage of them were distracted by the wink?

    What wink? You mean, she winked at YOU, too?

    I thought it was just me she was winking at.

    … that brazen hussy


  7. 5th Estate says:

    Choc Jesus…
    around 90? I’d go along with that.


  8. Zooey says:

  9. 5th Estate says:

    Zooey: 69.9 million viewers witnessed Winky Barbie make an ass out of herself.

    Of which I’m guessing about 50 million witnessed Bible Spice make an ass out of herself–again! (thanks to the Couric interviews)…which reminds me….


  10. stateofthedivision says:

    The Carlyle Group’s Nielsen Media reported


  11. Frosty Cupcake says:

    My son asked me if she was some kind of barfly with that wink.


  12. Frosty Cupcake says:

    “Bible Spice.”

    Love it.


  13. Buckie Boy says:

    Alot of viewers, but how many with IQ’s over room temperature?

    Nazi Bible Barbi brought out the evan-jello-brains.


  14. Little Freep Goofballs says:

    John Kerry Says:

    Anyone want to guess WHO drew that rating????

    Sarah Palin drew that rating. You know, like a bad car wreck draws onlookers.


  15. Bilbo Hussein Baggins says:

    And how many do you think made it through the whole thing? I didn’t. About half way through my blood pressure was so high from being pissed off that Gwen Ifill was allowing Palin to ignore her questions and go off on talking point tangents, added to the screech of her voice, so I had to give it up.

    I am glad that that many people were able to see how vapid she is and that she has zero knowledge about the issues.

    BTW, in her interview on Faux Noise today she seriously dissed CBS and Katie Couric. In return, I think that CBS should air all the cuts of her interviews with Couric. I’m sure there were some doozies that ended upon the cutting room floor.


  16. Jim Wolf359 says:

    I stayed with it all the way through because watching Joe Biden slap down this lightweight idiot was a joy to watch. Anyone wondering why Obama picked biden as his running mate got a very Emphatic answer last night. What a performance by Joe!!


  17. DallasNE says:

    A couple of this account for more people watching this debate than the Obama-McCain debate.

    After seeing how poorly Palin did with a couple of interviews many thought this would be like reality TV; who gets dumped off the show. The other thing was that McCain at first said he wouldn’t be at the debate and at the last minute changed his mind so some weren’t even aware there would be a debate. The next debate is McCain’s last chance to salvage his campaign.


  18. upnorth says:

    And how many readers/commentors on this site noticed that the article started out saying “On Tuesday night, 69.9 million viewers tuned in…”

    I thought the debate was Thursday night myself but what do I know?

    I am sure the high turn out in viewership was due to the Reality TV phenomenon. Watching Sarah Palin do interviews and debates is quite like watching the bad contestants on American Idol! Why wouldn’t you tune in to potentially see someone make a fool out of themselves.


  19. ldmyers1949 says:

    Am I the only one who believes that Palin dishonored the entire United States citizenry (at least the 69.9 million of us who watched the debate) when she announced that she didn’t feel obligated to answer the questions posed to her? After all, we tuned in to learn more about the positions (or lack thereof) of the candidates, based on the questions the moderator asked each of them, and with the rules of the “debate” predefined for each of them!



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