Barack Obama’s 30-minute presidential ad — aired on CBS, NBC, and Fox — drew in a total of 26.4 million viewers Wednesday night, with NBC getting the most love. Meanwhile, ABC’s decision to skip Obama’s ad and air recently flailing series Pushing Daisies paid off, as 6.6 million viewers chose pie over politics (a no-brainer!), a 14 percent increase from Daisies‘ audience last week. But it was Fox’s telecast of World Series Game 5 (which finally concluded the game that started but was rained out on Monday) that won the night with an average of 16.7 million viewers over 90 minutes.
Both of CBS’ trusty Wednesday-night procedurals lost viewers this week: Criminal Minds (13.8 million) was down from 15 million, while CSI: NY (13.6 million) lost 800,000 viewers from last week. The New Adventures of Old Christine (7.6 million viewers) dipped only slightly. Meanwhile, both of NBC’s hourlongs saw ratings spikes: Deal or No Deal (9 million viewers) enjoyed a 16 percent bump from last week, and some of those Dealers stuck around for Lipstick Jungle, which averaged 4.9 million viewers after hitting a series low last week with 4.3 million viewers.
The second episode of The CW’s new series Stylista lost 30 percent of its series-premiere viewership from last week, while this week’s Amsterdam-set Top Model lost 800,000 from last week, thanks to the campaign special on neighboring networks. (I always suspected Tyra’s foreign policy was thinner than Obama’s. Now I have proof.)
More Barack Obama and TV News:
Pushing Daisies vs. Barack Obama
Barack Obama: The EW Q&A
Barack Obama on The Daily Show
America’s Next Top Model recap
Stylista premiere recap
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I sure hope that 14% extra that checked out Pushing Daisies last night stick with it!
Vote, vote, vote!!! Obama/Biden!!
Hooray for Pushing Daisies! Hopefully all those new viewers will be as hooked as I am!
Oh and vote Obama!
Obama sure knows how to sell his product of presidency. It was a really nicely done 30 min ad, but a lot of what he was saying was utter crap.
His example of using the school teacher with another job in the medical field failed. A teacher on average for a public school gets around 50,000+ yearly, with that and a medical job, there is no way you can classify her as poor. If anything she just doesn’t know how to manage money.
I don’t care who wins but anyone who sat around and lapped this up for 30 minutes is pathetic. The idea of the remote control is to change the channel when a TV commercial comes on — that is all this was
Just a side note.
People who don’t speak the English language (our native language) should not be allowed to vote. They can’t even understand they issues and they easily manipulated by multilingual friends who tell them who they should vote for. Watching CNN, I heard a guy, who could barely speak English, say that he was going to vote for Obama because when he heard John McCain speak all he could picture was George Bush. When the reporter asked for a better reason, all the guy could say was that he wants change. Well I hate to break this to you buddy but change doesn’t automatically mean things are changing for the better. If you don’t understand the policies and programs of each candidate, you should not be able to vote. The presidential election has become a popularity contest. It’s sad.
I’m sorry I did not have time to enjoy the brainwashing. I am trying to figure out how — if Obama wins — Obama take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution when he thinks it is incorrect and needs to be changed?
Ok, let’s have reality check. Teachers do not make $50K. Some administrators barely make that depending on the state. I don’t know any single or married school teachers that don’t have a second job….For all of you cheering those who didn’t watch…did it ever occur to you that they are already Obama supporters? No, because deductive reasoning is above your grade level!!
Obama just showed us exactly what he is — a TV illusion.
That was a wonderful Obama infomercial! People need to stop the hating against Obama! And for those who say it was brainwashing or propoganda- grow up! If you had watched the damn thing then you would have actaully seen that it was about what he is going to do as president and four different stories about Americans going through tough times and how he would help them. There wasn’t even a mention of John McCain! So stop with the arguments that make no sense whatsoever, it’s just plain desperate.
The fact that Karl Marx thinks getting informed is brainwashing says a lot about him. You can hear it out and disagree or decide against it but the simple act of hearing and/or learning doesn’t equate to brainwashing. Good luck to your children
Istead of worrying about what everyone else makes why don’t you get busy making yourself better (that’s the American way) instead of sitting around waiting for the Messiah to give you a handout.
As expected the most ignorant are the ones hating on Obama. Just because you can’t speak proper English doesn’t mean you don’t understand it or the issues. There isn’t an automatic connect there. And I know plenty of people who speak well and have turd for brains so I wouldn’t go too far out with that argument.
Its brainwashing when there is only one side of the story is being rammed down your throat. That is what the Russian media did to its citizens in the 70’s. I guess we’ll get used to it if Obama wins since socialism is a transitional phase towards communism. If you want to get educated start at the follwing not at a canned Obama fantasy show: http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=303952499910291
Karl…there you go again. As I said, you do not have to agree with him or any other politican. He said his piece, John McCain said his piece. You go inform yourself what the truth is on both sides because honestly each has an agenda so its up to us to discern the ‘messaging’ and make our decisions. I still don’t see what the brainwashing is. If you just sit there and allow yourself to hear only one side then you are brainwashing yourself, Obama nor McCain have anything to do with it.
I’ve got both his books Boston. Interesting Marxist fantasy but they have no place in America. Why doesn’t he go to China or some other appropriate place. I don’t want someone elses earnings – do you?
Good to hear Karl. I don’t agree with your assessment but that’s fine. And progressive taxes were invented almost a century ago. Its nothing new. The only difference is that depending on the current government, who got the better end of deal varied. There is really nothing socialist about it, if so every president in the last century and beyond is a socialist.
Hey Steve, I think your right. Obviously a lot of folks used the remote. “Pushing up Daisies” had a 14 % increase ini viewers from last week. Good use of funding Obama — wait till he gets a chance to spend your money.
There should be no change in taxes to support government Boston. Government is to big and wasteful already. Let’s start getting rid of it instead of growing it. Like Reagan said, “there is nothing that the federal government can do for you that the private sector can’t do better and more efficiently.”
Hey, Karl Marx, ever heard of DEREGULATION? Bush has. McCain has. And our economy, which is in the toilet in case you haven’t noticed, has.
You’re right Karl. Government is wasting a lot of money. But right now we have a lot of debt, wars to pay for, a failing economy that we’ve started paying for (thats the real and tragic move to socialism that we should be worried about) that the private sector can’t help with. And if we’re going to stop changing the taxes, why don’t we stop at the tax code 8 years ago, 12 years ago and so on?
I would have rather seen him do a town hall meetings with McCain rather than this scripted hollywood BS. Of course someone might have asked a questions he didn’t like. This election is a joke.
The teacher “just doesn’t know how to manage money”, huh? Do you happen to know what the cost of living is where that teacher lives? Or are you just being a typical nasty, snarky, unsympathetic, on your high ol’ horse obtuse Republican? Man, the humanity coming from you Republicans is just dandy!
Um its a commercial, an ad, an infomercial. It just happens to be 30 minutes long. No one is asking to take it as any different than any other propoganda used in an election.
Your right on that Boston. Our kids will still be paying for this damn war when were long gone. Obama has backed off on his plans for that as well — he doesn’t have a clue. If he wins He’ll probably just keep Gates working on it.
Karl Marx, if you’re so knowledgeable, how come you (and McSame) can’t see the difference between real socialism and the progressive tax system the U.S. has had in place for the last 95 years?
Karl Marx, you would know all about not having a clue, wouldn’t you?
Obama is still a politician and can’t be excused from that. As much as we want the truth from them, we really can’t handle it. Even at hint of something painful or negative yet true, we bolt so who can blame the politicians for sugar coating. But I still have more confidence in BO leading than McCain even on the War front.
I don’t get it Bostonbean. You admit it is propaganda but you tell Karl Marx he should have his children watch it? That’s crazy. Propaganda is what they show on TV in countries run by dictators.
Karl Marx, Reagan was living in a distant path. He is right, there is nothing that government can do that private sector can’t do more efficiently. But how do they do it? They do it by laying off people and forcing the leftover employees to work 12 hours for 8 hour’s pay. If they refuse, they lose their job. It is worse than dictatorship. Haven’t you noticed how the top few in just about every company get 100 times richer while the remaining 95% to 99% work more and get paid less?