Final: Palin-Biden the most-watched vp debate ever

UPDATED: Thursday's highly anticipated face-off between Alaska governor Sarah Palin and Delaware senator Joe Biden was the most-watched vp debate of all time.

Last night's event was seen by more than 70 million viewers.

That's the most-viewed debate -- presidential or vp -- since Ronald Reagan went up against Jimmy Carter in 1980, which still holds the debate viewership record (80.6 million).

The Palin-Biden telecast was at least ...

-- 33% higher than Friday's top-of-the-ticket debate between John McCain and Barack Obama (52.4 million).

-- 61% higher than the 2004 vp debate between Dick Cheney and John Edwards (43.6 million).

-- 23% higher than the 1984 match up between George Bush and Geraldine Ferrarro (56.7 million), the former title-holder for the most-watched vp debate.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the event drew 69,989,000 viewers, which the measurement company rounded to an official tally of 69.9. In addition, PBS estimates about 3.5 million watched its coverage.

The Biden-Palin summit was expected to overthrow Friday's presidential debate in viewers due to questions about Palin's readiness and because the vp match was held on a Thursday -- television's most-watched night of the week. But this ratings blowout exceeds industry expectations. The audience response puts the election back onto the historic and record-breaking ratings territory that characterized the convention coverage.

The Nielsen measurement includes viewers watching the debate live on 11 networks -- NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS, CNN, Fox News, CSPAN, MSNBC, CNBC, Telemundo, and Telefutura.

ABC drew the largest debate audience with 13.1 million viewers. Among broadcast networks, ABC was followed by NBC (12.8 million), CBS (11.1 million) and Fox (4.5 million).

On cable, Fox News led with 11.1 million -- the most-watched telecast in the network's 12-year history. CNN drew 10.7 million, the channel's third most-watched telecast ever. MSNBC had 4.4 million.

Debate reaction and analysis:

"The most compelling 90 minutes of TV on a Thursday night in quite some time," writes Paul Gough ..."So how surprising was it, really, that neither candidate devolved into a Jerry Springer screaming fit or fell into a state of catatonia?" asked LA Times ... Debate quotes from the AP ... "Palin changed her image overnight," says Weekly Standard ... "Palin scored points but didn't win," says Newsweek and Salon ... "Attitude and image vs. facts and focus," says Baltimore Sun ... "Rivals shine, Palin a bit more brightly," says Boston Globe ... Joe Klein weighs in ... "Nothing will have a substantive effect on the presidential race," says US News and World Report ...  "Palin a bridge too far," says RCP ... Shales: Palin seemed like Tina Fey ... HuffPo's collection of reactions and live blog ... CBS poll results ... CNN poll and analysis ... CNN's video highlights.   

RELATED: The TV ratings election: Have the Nielsens ever been more politicized? What are the numbers really telling us?

RELATED: Saturday Night Live's Palin-Biden debate parody

>> Previous VP Debate Ratings:

2004: Cheney-Edwards: 28.1 HH / 43.6 million viewers
2000: Cheney-Lieberman: 21 HH / 29 million viewers
1996: Gore-Kemp: 19.7 HH / 26.6 million viewers
1992: Quayle-Gore-Stockdale: 35.9 HH / 51.2 million viewers
1988: Quayle-Bentsen: 33.6 HH / 46.9 million viewers
1984: Bush-Ferraro: 43.6 HH / 56.7 million viewers

>> Previous Presidential Debate Ratings Highlights:

2004: Bush-Kerry (first debate): 62.5 million viewers
2000: Bush-Gore (first): 46.6 million viewers
1996: Clinton-Dole (first): 36.1 million
1992: Clinton-Perot-Bush (second): 69.9 million
1988: Bush-Dukakis (second) 67.3 million
1984: Reagan-Mondale (second): 67.3 million
1980: Reagan-Carter: 80.6 million

Comments

[Karen]

Interesting that we hae fallen into a Burning war of words. I just want to state some facts.
1. Obama thinks that there are 57 states--really, he vistited them all!
2. Obama thinks that Memorial day and Veteran's day are one and the same...he said he was SO grateful for all that the Veterans and saw some in the audience..when he was supposed to be honoring the military honored dead who gave their lives in service of the country that they loved--to trivialize this or confuse this is an insult to the fallen soldiers.
3. Biden told a wheelchair bound person to stand up to be recognized.

LOVED Palin. She was very Reagonesque.

OOOO Can I say she "gave me tingles up and down my leg?" LOL

The Left wing liberals cannot handle criticism, so they try to personally attach anyone who DARES to state the facts.

Another thing to think about: If the liberals are not intimidated by Palin, then why are they comparing a VP candidate to their Presidential candidate?

Maybe she has more Mojo then their Messiah????

Where Obaba is a "made" politician by the Chicago corrupt political machine, Palin is a governor because whe felt that she needed to do something--to CHANGE things where she lived.

Obviously, I loved watching Palin mop the floor with Biden, who appeared flusterd--but the moderator rescued him time and time again, bless her.

The moderator who also has a financial interest in seeing Obama win, since she has a book deal in the works...

[J Newcomb]

Wow Erin,

The only media that slants their news political is the one that goes towards the right, but the rest of the media is unbiased. Are you really that blind? Really?

I bet you also think that factcheck.org has the unbiased truth as well. If you have your way the country will be ruined by the Democrats, oh wait you blame the president for not doing enough, no the current sitting congress which is controlled by the Democrats, and which Obama is a jr. member with no real position of power, not really earning any real executive experience. He has not done a damn thing and yet you all think he will change America, (an America he and his family may or may not be proud of) for the better. Give me a break. I guess when he is imprisoning people for public displays of patriotism, religion, and clinging to their guns you might see the error of your ways, oh but no you probably would be ok if they locked us right wing nuts away, you know us the ones who have volunteered to defend our country from enemies foreign and domestic, who when they take an oath they take it to heart forever.

Remember BHO when he told John McCain "I have a bracelet too..." he made a promise to a mother that no mother will have to go through what she has gone through. Lets analyze that for a minute. As Commander and Chief could he really fulfill that promise not to send the sons and daughters in Armed service into harms way. They are already there. So if he took office they would all have to come home day 1, and not get hurt in that process. NOT POSSIBLE! What happens when someone attacks allied that he has promised to help. He promised that mother no more mothers will have to go through the loss of their loved one. Erin, peace will not suddenly break out all over the world because the non-religious left-wing are in power over the United States government. As you can tell Erin, I do believe McCain is addressing the issues that matter to me, and my secure freedoms.

[J Newcomb]

Hello Tex, (your an idiot)

What truly amazes me is when someone who has very little understanding of faith in GOD, puts his objectives, and beliefs on The Creator. I bet if you ask anyone of the Pentecostal faith they could care less about what the Jehovah Witnesses have said and visa versa, and your complete lack of understanding is part of the problem. You probably subscribe to bumper sticker religion, you know the one coexist where they feel we should all get along. How can we when one of the religions shown has killed another's savior, when the promised land of three religions is the same land, or the fact that most religions believe that the other religions are part of the devil's plan to deceive the children of GOD. But I digress you probably are waiting for Texas to succeed from the union anyway.

[Gary]

The American people need to get real. The polls go back and forth every time the media (or should I say propaganda corps)lie to us. It is so obvious that both parties are only out for themselves. Pork, bailouts, handouts from lobbyists and especially entities like Fanny and Freddie. All the democratic leaders and a lot of the republicans benefit from the above. Crook is too tame a term for the likes of them. We don't need term limits, we can enact our own term limits, vote them out after one or two terms, don't let them get use to the political circus. Take away their overblown retirement and extreme medical benefits. Let them put into a 401 K with the government matching their input. Let them buy their own medical insurance with the government putting in some also, similar to most business furnished medical insurance. Let us fire them if they prove to be incompetent (any one of these clowns would have been fired after the first 60 days by any reputable business wanting to make a profit. Hell we are their bosses, since when do the employees have better benefits then the bosses, and tell the bosses what they are going to do......enough is enough. Also let's pay them an hourly wage only for the hours worked, that should save us millions. They are blaming Wall Street and a Capitalist Economy for the problems.......Are we that dumb.....it's the policies of the "Government Stupid" NOT the "Economy Stupid". It's the bleeding heart liberals idea that it is only "FAIR" for everyone to have a house.....maybe it is fair if everyone works to afford a house....but I am tired of supporting all the ne'er do wells in this society!!!! SubPrime Loans, Welfare, dumbing down of our schools, weird pork barrel projects, giving money to countries who hate us, it goes on and on. Let's do the following: 1. SubPrime Loans....get rid of them, if you can afford the payments you get the loan. 2. Welfare...No money given out..go back to passing out surplus food like they did in the good old days. 3. Schools...fire incompetent teachers and pay good teachers a fair salary.....kids need to learn the three R's and get held back if they don't pass...this will benefit them in the long run and maybe cut down on the welfare roles. 4. Bring back the line item veto and get rid of the weird pork barrel projects. 5. Tell the countries that come begging for money but hate us to go fly a kite (in stronger terms). Fat Cats screw up businesses on Wall Street and get out with golden parachutes worth millions, people purchase houses they can't afford with subprime loans the government pushed to get approved by entities like fanny and freddie that they use for their own little piggy banks. Government employees run houses of prostitution out of their basements (Barney), hide millions of dollars of kickbacks in their freezers and use the military to take them to their flooded houses to retrieve the ill gotten gains, give millions of taxpayer dollars to organizations like ACORN to "CREATE" voters (democrats), teach these left wing zealots (ACORN) how to become proficient in the fraud and demonstrations they have become so good at (OBAMA). The republicans are just as bad, they had a few years to correct the problem when they ran the Senate and House, but they were too weak in the knees. We have three Senators running for office I don't think I want anyone who has been involved in this government to take over the reins of the government, but we do have one outsider with, what I consider, a good track record as far as it goes, granted she is a VP nominee but maybe she will have some input with McCain....I sure don't trust Obama and his partner in crime.....who thinks it is Patriotic for the American people to participate in a redistribution of wealth (pay more taxes). I can't get over how the republicans are failing to bring out the point (although common sense should tell us this) that OBAMA wants to give 95 percent of the people a tax break......yea and I also have a bridge in Alaska for sale......in that 95 percent there is probably about 30 percent that do not pay taxes.....explain how you can cut taxes on someone that pays NO taxes. I can't believe that polls are right that OBAMA is leading, as most of us that work don't have the time to answer polls, or spend time at rallies, we have to work. When a pollster calls me I hang up, or throw his garbage in the trash when it comes in the mail. I don't need someone to tell me what or who to vote for. I happen to have a mind of my own, and am intelligent enough to see what is going on. I also don't listen to the propaganda media....I do watch FOX and get a lot of info from the internet, but take it all with a grain of salt. I put CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC and most of the newspapers in the category of fish wrap or bird cage liners. If a newsman or woman gives me an opinion I place it under the heading of an anal cavity everyone has one. There are very few real news men or women anymore and FOX seems to have the corner on that market. Yes they also have commentators but that is all that the other cable news networks have. Now the funny thing is that the bailout has got some blue states holding their hands out, Ca., Mass., NM., now isn't that a surprise...seems like it never stops. Well lets vote for Palin/McCain and hope Sarah has some pull with McCain.

[d-28]

This is real folks! Not a joke!

Why is OBAMA afraid to present his real Birth Certificate?
What has he to hide?
Research has proven to be right on this one!
Perhaps, this lends credence to the fact he was born in Kenya.

Federal Judge Orders Obama To Produce His Birth Certificate

Posted on October 2, 2008 by Texas Hill Country

While I have intentionally stayed away from this issue, I think that this is very interesting news.

It has long been the internet controversy that Barack Obama has failed to produce his birth certificate.

A few months after the controversy began, a copy of one was put on the internet… but very quickly was called a fake by a variety of imaging experts, and blank templates of Hawaiian birth certificates were found in the online photohosting account of one of the contributors to the site that released the copy of the online version… adding fuel to the fire.

To date, Barack Obama has refused to produce a paper copy of his “vault” birth certificate, which is the full birth certificate record from the state.

A lawyer in Philadephia filed suit, calling into question the status of Barack Obama as a natural born citizen, a requirement for the Presidency, and demanding a copy of the vault certificate.

The Obama camp quickly reacted, not by producing the certificate, but by filing a motion to dismiss….

And then, on Obama’s own website, he now admits to being a US/Kenya dual national until his 18th birthday.

It seems that while Obama really has admitted dual citizenship, the order quoted above has not yet been signed and the motion to dismiss has been not yet been denied.

[LIGHT]

TO ALL MY FRIENDS....LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE...FYI only.

George Bush has been in office for 7 1/2 years.
The first six the economy was fine.

A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%.
4) the DOW JONES hit a record high--14,000 +
5) American's were buying new cars,taking cruises,
vacations overseas, living large!...

But American's wanted 'CHANGE'! So, in 2006 they voted in a Democratic Congress and yes--
we got 'CHANGE' all right. In the PAST YEAR:

1) Consumer confidence has plummeted ;
2) Gasoline is now over $4 a gallon & climbing!;
3) Unemployment is up to 5.5% (a 10% increase);
4) Americans have seen their home equity drop
by $12 TRILLION DOLLARS and prices still dropping;
5) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
6) as I write, THE DOW is probing another low~~
$2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS HAS EVAPORATED FROM THEIR STOCKS, BONDS & MUTUAL FUNDS INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS!

YES, IN 2006 AMERICA VOTED FOR CHANGE..AND WE SURE GOT IT! .....

REMEMBER THE PRESIDENT HAS NO CONTROL OVER ANY OF THESE ISSUES, ONLY CONGRESS.

AND WHAT HAS CONGRESS DONE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

NOW THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT CLAIMS HE IS GOING TO REALLY GIVE US CHANGE ALONG WITH A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS!!!!

JUST HOW MUCH MORE 'CHANGE' DO YOU THINK YOU CAN STAND?

[LIGHT]

TO ALL MY FRIENDS....LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE...FYI only.

George Bush has been in office for 7 1/2 years.
The first six the economy was fine.

A little over one year ago:
1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%.
4) the DOW JONES hit a record high--14,000 +
5) American's were buying new cars,taking cruises,
vacations overseas, living large!...

But American's wanted 'CHANGE'! So, in 2006 they voted in a Democratic Congress and yes--
we got 'CHANGE' all right. In the PAST YEAR:

1) Consumer confidence has plummeted ;
2) Gasoline is now over $4 a gallon & climbing!;
3) Unemployment is up to 5.5% (a 10% increase);
4) Americans have seen their home equity drop
by $12 TRILLION DOLLARS and prices still dropping;
5) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
6) as I write, THE DOW is probing another low~~
$2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS HAS EVAPORATED FROM THEIR STOCKS, BONDS & MUTUAL FUNDS INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS!

YES, IN 2006 AMERICA VOTED FOR CHANGE..AND WE SURE GOT IT! .....

REMEMBER THE PRESIDENT HAS NO CONTROL OVER ANY OF THESE ISSUES, ONLY CONGRESS.

AND WHAT HAS CONGRESS DONE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

NOW THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT CLAIMS HE IS GOING TO REALLY GIVE US CHANGE ALONG WITH A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS!!!!

JUST HOW MUCH MORE 'CHANGE' DO YOU THINK YOU CAN STAND?

[TEXAS INDEPENDENT]

LIGHT, the 5 items you mention are mainly tied to deregulation.

1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
Confidence is impacted by many factors, see below...

2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
Gas is going up because of a) record damage from hurricanes shutting down refineries along the Gulf Coast and impacting supply (we can't seem to get one back online before another hit comes), b) our oil demand staying the same while China's skyrocketed (Olympics, etc. made everything go up, even the cost of copper), c) market speculation (in part from Wall Street deregulation)

3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%.
Incorrect, it hasn't been 4.5% since Clinton in 1998 (low was 3.97%, the last year Clinton was in office). Under Bush it reached 5.99 in 2003!!!

4) the DOW JONES hit a record high--14,000 +
Stock market is in large part driven by fear and greed. Remove the speed limits, people will speed, and it'll be fun for a while, but they'll eventually crash. McCain calling for deregulation at this point is like an arsonist calling for water.

5) American's were buying new cars,taking cruises,
vacations overseas, living large!...
See above.

Most people I know are no longer voting McCain/Palin and the ones that are are quite frankly blindly stubborn or have openly admitting their racism.

I can't in good conscience vote for McCain.

[LIGHT]

How did we get into this financial mess? Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBWiD2nAVvI

You are all insane for thinking Sarah Palin did anything but horrible.

[Lissa]

Hi. In the future I'm going to keep here links to their sites. But I do not worry about the sites where my link is removed. So if you do not want to see a mountain of links, simply delete this message. After 2 weeks, I will come back and check.