Media is predicting a very low viewership on the Democratic debates

[Sheepshank]

Whether is because of the smaller field of contenders, or whether it's because the entertainment value of Trump will be missing, or whether Clinton and Sanders have both verbalized they will not be attacking (no expected fireworks), or whether it's because so many have already made up their minds?

It seems to me that the public in general doesn't feel the need for 12 or 20 debates.

[magical thyme]

1. "Nothing to see here. Just move along..." maybe that's what their bosses want us to think.

re: your source. Do you have one?

[Sheepshank]

3. well besides what was on talk radio this morning, it wasn't really that hard to look it up

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/cnn-democratic-debate-ratings-expectations-214664

http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/cnn-anticipates-democratic-debate-audience-to-be-significantly-smaller/274342

AND, for good measure

Trump's "pomposity" at being the viewrship draw http://theweek.com/speedreads/582680/cnn-doesnt-expect-many-people-watch-democratic-debate

[magical thyme]

7. ah....DWS's plan at work.

Another element to contend with: Baseball. The New York Mets will play the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals will play the Chicago Cubs in playoff games. The first two GOP debates did not have major sports to compete with.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/cnn-democratic-debate-ratings-expectations-214664#ixzz3oNIN24xO

[Sheepshank]

14. is that typically how debates are planned...around baseball

dancing with the stars, weather, california time, the Republican debate schedule, the weekend, the workweek, etc. I imagine there will always be something. Just trying to schedule meetings here with 3-4- bigwig (wannabes) and their assistance can be a freaking nightmare lol.

[bkkyosemite]

2. Or whether they fixed the time

to not allow those stuck in traffic on the West Coast to get home to watch...grrrr

[restorefreedom]

13. i just stsrted a thread on this

cnn is doing a live stream, no login required.

so they can listen on their phones in traffic

[workinclasszero]

4. It seems to me that the public in general doesn't feel the need for 12 or 20 debates.

They don't plus we don't have a 3 ring circus freak show like the teahaddist party.

A clown like Trump running around with his hair on fire screaming WALLS!! ILLEGAL ALIENS...RAPISTS!!!11!!

makes for high TV ratings, no doubt.

[sufrommich]

5. In other words,they turned into the GOP debate like

they turned into Honey BooBoo and The Real Housewives of Orange County.

[artislife]

6. So why did the Republican debates have pretty good numbers?

I think you don't feel the need for 12 or 20 debates. We sure could have used them earlier, but some people want to keep their candidate in curio cabinet.

[Sheepshank]

11. I suspected it was in part the predictable Trump fireworks

As mentioned up thread, there were a lot a condenders and the freakshow was on full display.

I think what may not have been mentioned was the number of Democratic viewers looking for confirmation and some mild entertainment of the Republican clown car. I know that is why I watched. I don't suspect there are that many Republicans as interested in watching the Dem debates.

[yeoman6987]

17. Problem is we will never here the end of the numbers differences

On Wednesday it will be GOP is excited. DNC can't get an audience. So frustrating and it hasn't happened yet.

[Sheepshank]

18. Pretty sure that is exactly how the media will spin it n/t

[jwirr]

22. IMO Trump entertainment +

[whatchamacallit]

8. Individual circumstances will be the main reason many won't or can't watch

The assumption that everyone will be able to watch a particular debate is flawed. The fewer debates, the fewer aggregate viewers. I guess that was the plan.

[kenfrequed]

10. Right....

If Biden or one of their preferred counter-clinton candidates were running the media would be predicting an epic viewership of the Democratic debates.

[Sheepshank]

12. If Biden jumps in the race.....

...it would be interesting to compare viewerships between the debate without him and the one with him.

[kenfrequed]

15. I think you miss my point

The media is projecting.

They want a non-bernie challenger to hillary. They don't like Bernie much.

Reporters don't like having to do research in order to interview him. They prefer nice attack/defend questions that don't dig deeply into the information.

Editors like to have big campaigns with lots of staff and sources that are willing to leak things on and off the record and spit out little nuggets of bullshit that can be masqueraded as context.

Owners hate Bernie's policy ideas.



Is it any wonder that Bernie is doing better on the internet than he is traditional media?

[Sheepshank]

16. oh, it threw me off that you mentioned Biden

....still, it may give us some interesting data if Biden does jump in on the 2nd or subsequent debates, don't you think?

[Ron Green]

19. None of this matters, compared to

the fact that this 2016 cycle is a real test for American voters (and would-be voters.) Can we throw off the old paradigm, in which Hillary or almost any Republican is acceptable to the ruling powers?

We very well may fail this test; to the extent TV succeeds in driving the narrative on the street, the chance for transformation is not good. But there's still time to listen to the truth about the bought system, and to be part of a real revolution.

[Boov]

20. I predict a recordbreaking viewership

Better than the clown car show..

[in_cog_ni_to]

21. That's funny! Not that they would ever be truthful about it, but

CNN'S ratings will be through the roof.