CNN scores huge ratings win for second GOP Debate with Donald Trump, Carly Florina, others

Regardless of whether or not it was for the right reasons (i.e. people taking it completely seriously), there is no question that cable news networks are taking in huge ratings for their GOP Debates so far this year.

Earlier this summer, Fox News scored a ratings record by managing to get around 24 million people to watch their first debate, and for Wednesday night, CNN can boast a number near 20 million. Given that their debate ran for an hour longer and some of the initial buzz was gone, that is still an astounding number given that we are more than a year away from the actual Presidential election and it still feels like we’ve got a billion different candidates running.

We know that Donald Trump is going to take most of the credit for the ratings increases, and to us there is at least no doubt that his entry into the race has made for more TV moments. He is currently leading the polls, but one of the most talked-about moments from the event last night was Carly Florina coming back at him over comments he made regarding whether or not anyone would want to vote for her “face.” Florina finished second behind Trump in many exit polls over her performance in the debate.

Ultimately, we’re not so interested in getting into huge political discussions here, but we are continually fascinated by TV trends and the demand to watch these debates live is one of them. We feel like social media has dramatically changed the game during these elections, mostly because you can now immerse yourself in what other people are saying about these candidates while the debate is going on.

If you missed it, Hillary Clinton made an appearance on late-night TV after the debates, and you can read more about that by heading over to the link here. Also, be sure to sign up right away to get some more updates on everything we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: CNN.)