The 2008 Republican and Democratic conventions attracted sizable audiences, despite the limited primetime network coverage.
More than half of the public (56%) said they watched at least some of the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn, as Sen. John McCain and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin officially became the party’s ticket.Somewhat fewer (46%) said they watched at least some of the Democratic convention in Denver.
Not surprisingly, conventions primarily attract interest among the party bases. Four years ago, 69% of Republicans watched at least some of their party’s convention; 35% said they watched all or most of it. Similarly, 67% of Democrats watched at least some of their party’s convention; 40% watched all or most of it.
In 2008, the GOP convention attracted more cross-party interest than did the Democratic convention. Nearly half of Democrats (49%) said they watched at least some of the GOP convention; just 30% of Republicans tuned into at least some of the Democratic convention. Read More