Presidential Debates: The Numbers Game

Gearing up for tonight’s VP debate? Well, you’re certainly not alone.

And according to Nielsen (the ratings system, not Leslie the slapstick actor), 52.4 million concerned Americans tuned in to watch John McCain and Barack Obama engage in some good old verbal pugilism last Friday. However, the debate didn’t even crack into the top 10 of all time.

Check out some of these stats regarding debates of yesteryear. Looks like Carter vs. Reagan (1980) claims the most viewers, while the famous Nixon-Kennedy battles of 1960 still own the top three spots in percentage of households.

You’re probably saying, "Surely tonight’s event will rank near the top in VP debates, right?"

Well, you might be right — but don’t call me "Shirley."