McCain Draws Record Big Ratings for Lousy Speech

Nick Gillespie | September 5, 2008

I find this genuinely surprising, especially given the lackluster energy level of everything associated with the GOP convention in Minnesota:

A record 38.9 million U.S. TV viewers watched John McCain accept the Republican nomination for president on Thursday, slightly more than the 38.3 million people who tuned in for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's speech, Nielsen Media Research reported.

McCain's tally was also higher than the 37.2 million Americans who tuned in to hear Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's address, Nielsen said on Friday.

Part of the McCain audience was tied to the NFL game that immediately preceded his remarks, but still...

More here.

One thing you can say about Palin pick independent of anything else: It has kept McCain in the game for a while. If he'd gone with Tim Pawlenty or some other minimally memorable (male) suit, I can't imagine anyone woulda tuned in Wed or Thur evening.