An Historic Low

NEW YORK (AllPolitics, Oct. 18) -- Fewer households tuned in to Wednesday night's second and final debate between President Bill Clinton and Republican Bob Dole than any of the other 16 televised presidential debates since 1960. According to Nielsen Media Research figures released Thursday, the debate drew a 26.1 rating on ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, which translates into 25.3 million households, or an estimated 36.3 million viewers. Measurements from other channels including MSNBC, Fox News Channel or PBS were not available. The first debate between Clinton and Dole got a 29.3 rating among the same four networks. Both numbers are down significantly from the 46.3 rating earned by the second debate between Clinton, then-President George Bush and Ross Perot in 1992. Perot, by the way, has an explanation for the low ratings this time: he wasn't invited.

What's The Frequency, Bob?

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Oct. 18) -- Embracing a technique from the Pat Buchanan playbook, Republican nominee Bob Dole has taken his message to the people through the radio waves. Since Labor Day he has averaged two interviews a day on radio talk shows and plans to take as many as 20 more calls before the election. Despite the candidate's tight campaign schedule, Dole strategists consider it time well spent, since it means free publicity and reaching the one in five of adult Americans who listen to talk-radio shows. Though such audiences generally lean conservative already, Dole aides hope that the appearances will shore up the Republican vote and energize their supporters.

Anything Good On TV?

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AllPolitics, Oct. 18) -- Americans have become adept at quickly flipping television channels until finding something to watch, and are equally fast to switch away if not satisfied. Retired Gen. Colin Powell compared this tendency to channel surf to the behavior of voters. While speaking at a dinner in San Jose, Powell related how the once-popular President George Bush was fired for Bill Clinton in 1992. Two years later Americans "brought in the Republicans, Newt Gingrich and the Contract with America," since they couldn't "get at" Clinton, who was not up for re-election. Now in 1996, Powell refused to predict which way the voters will sway. "People ask me what I think will happen and I say I'm not sure because frankly, I think the American people are channel surfing," Powell said.

Gore v. Kemp, Round 2

NEW YORK (AllPolitics, Oct. 18)-- Vice President Al Gore and the man who wants his job, Republican Jack Kemp, shared the stage again a week after their debate, competing this time for laughs instead of policy points. At the annual Alfred E. Smith dinner Thursday night, Kemp blamed his NFL football injuries for his career change to politics. "After two broken ankles, two broken shoulders, a broken passing hand and 11 concussions, there was nothing left to do but go into Congress. The only thing I never broke was my hair." Gore also managed to poke fun at himself, bringing along a slide presentation that showed how he has "tried to break the vice presidential mold." Included were altered photographs placing Gore in famous shots of carrying Olympic gymnast Kerri Strug, on the football field with Kemp and with a young Clinton meeting President John Kennedy. New York's Roman Catholic Cardinal John O'Connor joined in the fun, introducing each candidate as, "the man who hopes to be the next president ... I mean the next vice president of the United States," in reference to speculation that Gore and Kemp will battle in 2000 for that other job.

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