McCain Speech Breaks Ratings Records

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain edged out his opponent, the Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama , in the Nielsen TV ratings, according to Reuters. While almost 40 million viewers watched both men accept their party's nomination, slightly more watched the Republican nominee, with 38.9 million tuning in to McCain, while 38.3 million watched Obama's speech. McCain's talked-about VP choice, Sarah Palin , attracted almost as many viewers as the Presidential nominees -- 37.2 million viewers watched her speech at the Republican National Convention. To contrast, Reuters reports that only 34.9 million tuned in for the Beijing Olympics' recent opening ceremony, and the average viewership for Fox powerhouse "American Idol" is only 28.1 million. Reuters reports that, according to Nielsen, McCain's speech is believed to hold the record for the most-watched night of any party's convention in history. (link)