# Who plans to watch one/all or avoid one/all of the debates? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 26, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-plans-to-watch-one-all-or-avoid-one-all-of-the-debates/766963 "2016-09-26T19:43:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-plans-to-watch-one-all-or-avoid-one-all-of-the-debates/766963/41 "2016-09-27T17:39:14Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Estimates are that over 100,000,000 people will tune in for the 90 minutes. > > The real trick will be to keep dinner down while listening to hamster fists talk for 45 minutes. Now that it’s over, are there any actual viewing numbers available? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-plans-to-watch-one-all-or-avoid-one-all-of-the-debates/766963/42 "2016-09-27T17:55:14Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Now that it’s over, are there any actual viewing numbers available? I don’t know enough about things like livestreams to know if they are fully counted in any numbers. Network ratings are starting to come out. “The early Nielsen numbers indicate a big turnout for Monday’s first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump”: [http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-ratings-presidential-debate-1201871498/](http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-ratings-presidential-debate-1201871498/) Also “Presidential debate ratings might have exceeded 100M viewers”: [http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/presidential-debate-ratings-might-have-exceeded-100m-viewers-1.12374104](http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/presidential-debate-ratings-might-have-exceeded-100m-viewers-1.12374104) > [@](#): > > Meanwhile Nielsen’s Fast Affiliate ratings said the Big Four broadcast networks’ coverage pulled a total 45.8 million viewers. That’s a 23 percent increase from the same numbers in 2012. (Final viewer totals will be released later Tuesday.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-plans-to-watch-one-all-or-avoid-one-all-of-the-debates/766963/43 "2016-09-27T18:35:01Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Now that it’s over, are there any actual viewing numbers available? I think someone – CNN? – reran the debate in its entirety a few hours later. The buzz from it may have prompted viewers missing it the first to catch it then. But wouldn’t this have been in the wee hours? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-plans-to-watch-one-all-or-avoid-one-all-of-the-debates/766963/44 "2016-09-27T18:57:13Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I think someone – CNN? – reran the debate in its entirety a few hours later. The buzz from it may have prompted viewers missing it the first to catch it then. But wouldn’t this have been in the wee hours? Not on the West Coast (let alone Hawaii). I ended up watching every minute, to my surprise. Not that it was pleasurable, exactly, given that Trump has any chance at all. _That_ aspect made it more like watching a horror movie and waiting for the jump scare. But as everyone other than those paid by Trump seem to be saying, he made a very poor showing. Here’s hoping that registers with the undecided voters. My top pick for Trump deep-sixing his own chances: CLINTON: …and they showed he didn’t pay any federal income tax. TRUMP: That makes me smart. CLINTON: So that means zero for troops, zero for vets, zero for schools or health. Apparently Trump thinks he’s going to make Mexico pay for the US military and veterans’ care…? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-plans-to-watch-one-all-or-avoid-one-all-of-the-debates/766963/45 "2016-09-27T19:02:31Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Apparently Trump thinks he’s going to make Mexico pay for the US military and veterans’ care…? Well, it’s just our due. We did win the Mexican War, ya know. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-plans-to-watch-one-all-or-avoid-one-all-of-the-debates/766963/46 "2016-09-27T22:07:14Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Well, it’s just our due. We did win the Mexican War, ya know. What odds we hear one of the surrogates (or the Donald himself) repeat this?!!? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-plans-to-watch-one-all-or-avoid-one-all-of-the-debates/766963/47 "2016-09-27T22:38:47Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’m guessing it will be on your local NPR station if you have one. > [Support Public Radio: Donate To Your Local NPR Station : NPR](http://www.npr.org/stations/) (There’s a space to enter your zip code.) > > There are places to listen [online](https://www.google.com/search?q=listen+to+debate+online&num=100&source=lnt&tbs=qdr:d&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3x9iVm67PAhUF6CYKHaceDugQpwUIFg&biw=1410&bih=944&dpr=0.9), too. > > Don’t know what kind of commentary there might be. Well neither of my local NPR stations carried it but by cycling through the dial I did find an Orlando station that carried it (96.5?) and never interrupted, unlike the last time. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-plans-to-watch-one-all-or-avoid-one-all-of-the-debates/766963/48 "2016-09-27T23:04:35Z")
The problem with listening by radio is that some of the best moments were visual. I felt like Clinton essentially rebutted some of Trump’s argument through facial expressions alone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-plans-to-watch-one-all-or-avoid-one-all-of-the-debates/766963.md?page=2)