What will be the impact of Clinton's speech being up against the NFL on NBC?

[TroyD]

I'm disappointed that Bill Clinton's speech will be up against the NFL on NBC (so NBC won't even be covering Clinton). How is that fair? They covered the RNC.

I was hoping Clinton's speech would get good ratings since Gallup's poling this Summer shows he is the most popular living President. How does the DNC feel about the t.v. scheduling? Do they feel it will still get good numbers?

I'm hoping the Giants blow away the Cowboys early on so that the white working class guys watch Clinton.

[xxqqqzme]

1. I didnt know we

had entered the 'football on TV all the time' season. There is football on Wednesday night now? I thought it was weekends & Monday night. (Can you tell I never watch it?)

[Floyd_Gondolli]

18. The game was originally scheduled for Thursday

And the NFL agreed to move the game to Wednesday. Sorry you hate football, but a good deal of people enjoy it including many DUers.

[DonCoquixote]

2. never forget the internet

people will watch the speech right here on sites just like this one.

[sofa king]

3. Minimal.

Thanks to that septic menagerie last week, all we have to do is tell the truth and look professional.

Bill Clinton, unfortunately, still makes an entire generation of conservatives involuntarily salivate, so perhaps it is best if his speech is sought out by those who wish to see it, and not seen by those who do not.

We are, after all, the second act. Since the opener turned out to be G.G. Allin, there is no real need for former President Clinton to set his saxophone on fire.

[N504jb]

7. It's not that easy… .

I was listening to Joe Trippi tonight (the best in my opinion of Democrartic strategists because he keeps his cool) and he pointed out that Michigan and Arizona have moved from the "lean Obama" to toss-up category. This means, according to him, that Romney now has MANY more ways to get to 270 electoral votes.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1821398638001/update-on-the-race-to-270/

You can blow off Rove but if Trippi is concerned, he is despite whatever happened or did not happen at the RNC.

Then, too, there's the tensions between Israel and Iran, the civil war in Syria, gas prices, a jobs report Friday and the debates. Relatively speaking, the conventions are almost non-factors in how this thing breaks.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

9. Trippi's a FOX News "Democrat" these days

and tells the wingnuts what they want to here. He's sold out to be the new Susan Estrich.
Arizona was never in president's column to begin with.
And the reliable Michigan polling (as in not Rasmussen) has Michigan for Obama.

[fugop]

19. Arizona?

Did you mean Arizona, or some other state? When did Arizona lean Obama?

[sofa king]

35. I was certainly wrong about one thing.

Bill Clinton did set his saxophone on fire. I think Wolf Blitzer had to change his underwear afterwards.

[WI_DEM]

4. Not good. Most people unless they are political junkies will be watching football

but Bill will get more than a lot of others who would be in that position.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Agreed

[ProgressiveEconomist]

5. Will NBC run a 5-minute screen-bottom "crawl" the moment Bill Clinton

takes the stage in Charlotte? Preferably at the beginning of half=time? IMO that's the least they can do, given their full THREE HOURS PLUS of Republican convention coverage.

If NBC does that, Clinton might get a much bigger audience than he would have had there been no season opener NFL game to lead an audience to him.

[N504jb]

6. Cowboys/Giants game shouldn't move the needle either way on Clinton speech.

Conventions in and of themselves don't really have a significant outcome on a presidential election in the long run. I noticed during the RNC Fox played the days activities throughtout the night almost like a loop and seem to be doing the same thing with the DNC. I think I've seen Michelle's speech (after seeing it live) replayed at least three times. Ditto for the other speakers.

I think, however, there's a more subtle problem that scheduling Clinton when they did suggests what may be a bad omen unless the DNC gets its ducks in a row: the Democratic Party has been displaying a surprising lack of foresight the last two or three months in its campaign--and including the Clinton scheduling, at made at least two or three strategic blunders.

There has been (not necessarily in order) the president chasing Romney to New Orleans after he had initially stated he wouldn't be going to Louisiana. This makes it look like the party is playing defense. No one could have seen the incredible box office sensation that "Obama 2016" has become but this "film" and the early release of "No Easy Day" the purported true story of the killing of Bin Laden, will suck a lot of oxygen out of the room for a day or two when it is released, and every day Obama loses to a story that puts the focus on something that is an attack on his presidency which he has to defend, is a day lost to putting the focus on Romney's deficiencies and talking up his own assets.

So, to cut to the chase, the game shouldn't have much of an effect on whatever gains Obama accrues from Clinton's speech but the bigger problem is that they really should have scheduled Clinton for opening night. Mayer Castro may be a comer but he should have spoken tonight and Clinton should have been the keynote speaker last night. Mark my words, his speech will be considered vastly superior to Castro's.

[fugop]

10. There wasn't a choice...

Last edited Wed Sep 5, 2012, 09:46 AM - Edit history (2)

Putting Clinton on opening night with Michelle would have been a bad move. Each of them deserves the spotlight, and they shouldn't have to share. And frankly, if you have to compete with football, you might as well compete by putting your biggest gun in the game. Who better than Bill Clinton to go up against it? He's going to get coverage for his speech no matter what because he's Bill Clinton!

I think those who wanted to watch him will find a way. Anyone else in tonight's slot would have been lost in the shuffle, but Bill will still KILL!

Mark my words, his speech will be considered vastly superior to Castro's.

And that's why I think Clinton is better going tonight. He'll break through the football thing better than Castro could have, just because he's Clinton. I don't see this as a strategic blunder at all. I think it was very smart to put him there. He's the best they've got, and that's who you've gotta put in tonight. But I don't see all those things you mention as Dem blunders either, so who knows?

[sufrommich]

14. 2016 wasn't an "incredible box office sensation" it was viewed by

various birthers,conspiracy theorists and right wing extremists,then promptly fell off the charts. It was preaching to the choir,everybody else saw it for the propaganda it was.

[Warren DeMontague]

24. Thank you for your concern.

[hoboken123]

33. 'incredible box office sensation that "Obama 2016" has become'

Oh dear. The combined might of the GOP, Tea Party, and birthers have driven that movie straight to...#6, for one week.

Your 'concern' is noted.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

8. Shouldn't NBC give the Dems an extra hour on Thursday then?

for equal time and all - seems like what a supposedly "lib'rul" media would do.

[fugop]

20. They are

NBC tomorrow night is running the convention from 9-11 instead of 10-11, as the other networks are doing. Which is nice, because they'll get Biden into primetime that way, I think. So in a way, it all worked out great. Those who want to see Clinton will find a way to see Clinton (not to mention the fact that clips of him will run again and again). And now, Biden gets his moment. I assume.

[SmittynMo]

11. Whats the big deal?

In most cities, there's ABC, CBS ans NBC (for those without cable access). Simply change the channel.

[Thrill]

12. It will be huge

No way to sugarcoat it. It's the first game of the season. And it's two of the most popular teams in the NFL. But you can't get pissed at NBC. The NFL moved it so they wouldn't conflict with Pres Obama's speech. So I'd rather the game take away from Clinton than the President

[tjdee]

17. I really despise the sports culture in this country.

The NFL should have put it off a WEEK.

But they want to start making their money, so.

It really, really disgusts me how much people love sports in this country. They're games, guys. What Bill Clinton is going to be talking about affects our very lives.

Ugh.

[johnskudris]

25. Seriously?

The stuff Bill Clinton says will not affect us to the extent you declare. Sports are American. If you don't like sports...you must be a Muslim!!!!!

[tjdee]

31. LOL. nt

[TroyD]

28. I agree

It's ludicrous that sports is considered so important. But it's an age old problem.

They knew about it back in Roman times. If people are watching sports and care more about which team is hitting which ball into who's net, they won't be paying attention to what the politicians are doing to their country.

[tjdee]

32. You make a good point. It's always been. nt

[sufrommich]

13. I don't think it will matter, most people don't watch

the live conventions. Most people will watch the highlights for a few days afterward though. The point is to show your best and hope the snippets that people will watch will be better than the other parties.

[Sunlei]

15. People will watch both, we're a multitasking society now. Clinton's are in China? helping with the

sea territory oil fight China creates, by taking their neighbors easy oil?

[Jennicut]

21. The game time is 8:20 eastern. Clinton comes on after 10:00.

If it is not a close game, people may tune into Clinton. Blowouts are boring in football. I watch tons of games as my husband is a big Patriots fan. Even he stops watching when the game isn't close. The Giants owned the Cowboys twice last year so I hope it continues.

[TeamPooka]

22. Go Giants! Go Obama!

[bigwillq]

23. I'll be watching the game

I decided not to watch any coverage of either convention this year. I did, however, catch the last 5-10 minutes of Mrs. Obama's speech when I changed the channel to watch my local news (convention ran long).

From what I saw, Mrs. Obama's speech was very good.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. Football fans who also want to watch Clinton

will manage - there's DVRs and the Internet. I don't think the impact will be significant in terms of Clinton being heard.

[Blue Belle]

27. I don't know if it will matter...

Clinton will be a big draw. He is still one of the most popular political figures in the country and it might be why he's speaking in that time slot. That being said, I would rather the ratings for our convention fall to a pro-football game on NBC than to an episode of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" on TLC.

[WCGreen]

29. Since I am not from New York or Dallas, I could give a shit about football...

I only watch when I have a geographic interest.

But to tell you the truth, I wouldn't rather watch the Big Dog than watch the Browns.

[harpslay]

30. Clinton will do fine.

He'll grab die hard independent football fans during commercials.

[jenmito]

34. MSNBC reported that Bill Clinton will be interviewed on NBC during the game's half-time. nt