Rubberneck America
I can't decide whether this is hilarious or pitiful. From the New York Daily News:
Nielsen has finished compiling the ratings from all the networks that covered the conventions, right down to C-Span, and a higher percentage of the total TV universe tuned in to [Joe] Biden than to anyone else.
Specifically, Nielsen figures show Biden was watched by 14.7% of the 289.7 million people who live in U.S. television homes.
That's about 43.6 million people.
Definitive proof, I think, that Americans approached the conventions like NASCAR: the race is just going to go in circles, but you'll stay tuned for the possible crash.
And why not tune in to Joe Biden, if only to learn what happens when grandpa confuses the days on his oversized-print pill box? You know this audience was awaiting the improbable historical comparisons ("Let me tell you how tough this president is. He has literally slain more of his enemies than anyone since Vlad the Impaler"); the moment he would criticize offshoring by mimicking the accent of the customer service rep at a Bangalore IT center; or the guy-begging-for-change-on-a-freeway-offramp attacks on the GOP ("During my time in Congress, I personally saw Paul Ryan strangle no fewer than three drifters with his bare hands.")
Based on the ratings, it seems that the public is interested in politics in direct proportion to how closely it resembles a reality show. We can resent the American people for their taste, but shouldn't we save our real opprobrium for a Vice President who meets that demand?
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Comments:
Jul '10
Re: Rubberneck America
A funny show is a funny show. Has nothing to do with politics (or in this case it sort of does).
Jul '11
Re: Rubberneck America
I was at a Social Distortion concert recently. Some small mouthy drunk was about to get beat up. We all stopped to watch. Human nature when an idiot is in the limelight.
Dec '11
Re: Rubberneck America
I stumbled across a left-leaning forum while googling Biden. The consensus seemed to be that Biden is a "great American", a "national treasure", and that he will easily destroy Paul Ryan in the VP debate. In the echo-chamber that is liberalism, people are simply blind to the VPoTUS' faults. It's really sad.
Mar '11
Re: Rubberneck America
While the "car wreck ogling" explanation for Biden's high ratings is very attractive, there is a less exciting but more likely alternative.
Biden's speech was the first televised speech on Thursday evening, and immediately preceeded Obama's speech (which had the second-highest viewership with 13.6%). I imagine that most people who watched Biden were actually just tuning in to hear Obama, but then a number of them became so fed up/bored/underwhelmed by Biden that they changed the channel before the president could begin.
But rubbernecking is certainly the reason I listen to anything Biden says.
Edited on September 21, 2012 at 10:05pmJun '10
Re: Rubberneck America
If only Biden really were running the Gong Show revisited and Obama were a televangelist all would be right with the world.
Re: Rubberneck America
This is the only reason I will watch the Vice Presidential debates. Only. Reason.
Re: Rubberneck America
On a list of things I didn't expect to read in this thread.
Oct '10
Re: Rubberneck America
The Left tuned in to see the Brain of the Democratic Party and perversely, the Right did too.
Re: Rubberneck America
It's just impossible to turn away.
Jul '10
Re: Rubberneck America
I would sooner believe that 43.6 million Americans' remote control batteries died simultaneously than think they were expecting something profound.
Waiting for the wreck, indeed.
Jul '11
Re: Rubberneck America
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
On a list of things I didn't expect to read in this thread. · 3 hours ago
Tough to pigeon hole us right wing religious types.
Sep '12
Re: Rubberneck America
For your bemusement and amazement, I present to you a post from an editorialist at the local paper: http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2012/09/20122.html/?fb_comment_id=fbc_367411436671153_69715323_367546653324298#f255c6a09c
Edited on September 22, 2012 at 7:04amJul '10
Re: Rubberneck America
Good to hear Mike Ness hasn't changed.
Dec '11
Re: Rubberneck America
Steven Jones
For your bemusement and amazement, I present to you a post from an editorialist at the local paper: http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2012/09/20122.html/?fb_comment_id=fbc_367411436671153_69715323_367546653324298#f255c6a09c · 22 hours ago
Edited 22 hours ago
Hahahaha... On my. Thanks for this. Did he actually imply that the current middle-east crisis was caused by Romney's visit there? It would be funny if it weren't so sad.