Feel the Trumpmentum!
Early overnight Nielsen ratings suggest that Thursday's Republican debate was not just the most-watched primary debate in history -- it may have been twice as big as the previous record-holder. [...]
Translation: 16% of United States homes with TV sets tuned in.
Which is about about three times the audience of the biggest GOP debates last time around, so I'd say Fox News is feeling pretty great about Donald Trump being in the race. Getting all those classy, classy eyeballs.
The party itself may have mixed feelings on this. The intention this election cycle, of course, was to reduce the number of debates and minimize the attention (read: damage) garnered during this necessary period of time when all the Republican contenders try to out-rightward one another on every issue, in every venue. Having record audiences tune in to hear candidates make their cases against health care and women's rights, while the tribble-headed angry man in front boasts that well maybe he says truly vile, despicable things about women but that's just because he doesn't have the time to play your politically correct politeness games—that would be the opposite of what the much-vaunted Republican autopsies suggested would be required of the party.
So, oops.