Fri. Night Debate Viewership Down

At least fewer people saw Bush perform better than before (although, I don't see how anyone could not have improved.)

Do you have a link? I'm curious how low it went and if it beat the VP debate.

FRIDAY NIGHT DEBATE NUMBERS WEAK FOR BIG-3 NETS: NBC averaged a 7.4 rating/13 share, ABC 6.0/10; CBS third at 4.9/8... Developing...

Not many young viewers were tuning in. And a lot of adults ake their families out to dinner. So this obviously is no suprise

Bush was anticipated to be at his worst during this town hall debate. I wonder who was behind the scheduling to make this on a Fri. night when most of the younger (arguably more Democratic-leaning) voters would likely not be tuning in?

Is that the conventional wisdom on that? Because the pundits I heard all week were going on and on and on about how this would be Bush's format since he's so goshdarned likeable while Kerry is the cold - what was that word on one of the shows the other day? stentorian?? - fish. I think people had the expectation that Bush is the one who connects to the people and Kerry can't. Although, to your point, I think I read somewhere that the Bush people themselves fought against this format, right?

The second debate always gets a lower viewing anyway, I think. I hope the first one is the record for the series, since Bush was as incoherent as I have ever seen him in that. Still, I'm hoping Kerry's waiting to unleash the killer condemnations in the third one. However many people tune in ...

not the pundits. ;)

We all know Bush surrounds himself with back-slappers, yes-men, and other brainwashed automatons and his staff knows it, too.

Especially out here in the Western half of the country. High school sports are BIG in many areas - more interest than many pro sports.

So you would have entire families away from their TVs.

We're sitting in the middle of some fierce spin going on. There was a reason for this debate to be on Friday night.

First, viewership was sure to be down as the debate was up against a baseball playoff game, all types of local high school football games and the start of the weekend (think many 18-34 year olds were at home????).

Next, the punditry is stuck, too. Unlike the last debate where the 24 hour news cycle all but ate Bunnypants alive, the first real media spin after the initial debate noise (seen by a lower audience) is on the Sunday morning talk shows. By then the regime will have a gauge on the spin and adjust for damage control. I use this scenario, but it could also be to take whatever holes they found in what Kerry said and ram it home (more "Global Test" anyone???)

Those familiar with this regime are familiar with those Friday night document dumps. Put a lot of crap out at the end of the week and you get several days to either hope this story blows over or can be spun and managed.