Friday, January 23, 2009
Unexpected news from the world of television
I would not have guessed that more Americans watched Reagan's first Inaugural than Obama's, and wonder if there is something screwy with the data. I suspect that Obama wins if we include foreign voters viewers, but he has much more support from that constituency.
5 Comments:
By 
Brent Buckner, at
Fri Jan 23, 08:59:00 AM:
OTOH, in 1981 fewer Americans were in a position to record the address, and *none* were in a position to tell themselves that if they wanted they could see it later via the Web.
By TigerHawk, at
Fri Jan 23, 09:06:00 AM:
That's a good point. I watched it on the web because I was in line at 10th and E Street. I know a lot of people in our company watched it on the web, because the IT department sent around an email about the bandwith burden.
By Viking Kaj, at
Fri Jan 23, 10:19:00 AM:
As I remeber 1981 a lot of people were out of work then too, so maybe that helps explain it.
By 
, at
Fri Jan 23, 09:28:00 PM:
The news media talked it to death during the days leading up to it. I'd be surprised if people weren't so bored with it that they decide not to bother watching.
By , at
Sat Jan 24, 12:05:00 AM:
Obama's support among the under 35 and A-A crowd is very deep. Reagan's was very deep among about 45% of the population, and deeper amongst the 33% that were then republicans, and had been waiting for this guy who brought them a landslide and control fo the Senate in forever. My aunt and uncle drove in despite what was bitter, bitter cold. It's just the news media wasn't as excited. But the people were. That's how many despots gain control, as an aside. With control over information.
