As the 2024 election season heats up, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) took center stage, hoping to captivate the nation with its message and candidates. With the spotlight shining brightly on Vice President Kamala Harris and the media eagerly touting her “historic” candidacy, expectations were sky-high.
The convention was set to be a pivotal moment for the Democrats, a chance to rally their base and make a strong case to the American people.
However, as the event unfolded, some surprising developments began to emerge, raising questions about the party’s momentum and the true impact of their message. The speeches were odd and at times controversial. Riots outside in the city cast a dark shadow over the Democrats’ big moment. And, as the data is coming out, it seems Americans weren’t as excited about this event as liberals hoped.
The television ratings of the first night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) sunk 22 percent from 2016, according to Nielsen…
About 20 million people watched the first night of the DNC, up from 2020’s virtual convention but severely down from 2016, Axios reported…
The ratings crash came after the media spent countless hours hyping Harris’s “historic” candidacy. [Source: Breitbart]
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off with all the fanfare you’d expect for such a “historic” event—except for one tiny, inconvenient detail: nobody seemed to care. According to Nielsen, the television ratings for the first night of the DNC nosedived by a whopping 22% compared to 2016. Ouch. If you thought Kamala Harris was the Democratic Party’s secret weapon, it turns out she might be more like a dud firecracker that fizzles out before it even gets going.
Let’s break it down. About 20 million people tuned in to watch the first night of the DNC this year. That’s a bit better than the virtual snoozefest of 2020, but it’s still a far cry from the 2016 spectacle. Back then, people were practically glued to their screens, popcorn in hand, ready to see what kind of political circus would unfold. Fast forward to 2024, and it seems the DNC’s main act, featuring Harris, didn’t quite pack the same punch.
MSNBC led the pack with 4.6 million viewers, which sounds impressive until you remember that there are nearly 330 million people in the U.S. It’s like throwing a party and only the neighbors show up—not exactly the ringing endorsement the Democrats were hoping for. Even CNN, which usually can’t get enough of Harris, only managed to pull in 3.2 million viewers. Meanwhile, Fox News—probably broadcasting with a healthy dose of skepticism—racked up 2.4 million viewers. If this is what a “historic” candidacy looks like, maybe history isn’t what it used to be.
You’d think with all the media love Harris has been getting—84% positive coverage since she joined the race, according to a Media Research Center study—people would be tuning in just to bask in the glow of her “historic” moment. But here’s the kicker: all that hype seems to have fallen flat. It’s almost like the media has been trying to sell us a shiny new car that, once you get behind the wheel, turns out to be a used clunker with a bad paint job.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump continues to get the villain edit, with a staggering 89% negative coverage. You’ve got to wonder—if Harris is so beloved and Trump so reviled, why aren’t the ratings reflecting that? Could it be that people are starting to see through the media’s narrative? Maybe they’re realizing that just because something’s called “historic” doesn’t mean it’s actually worth watching.
Author: Kit Fargo