A measly 63 million viewers watch the second Presidential debate

Okay, 63 million viewers shouldn't be considered 'measly'. It is nearly 25% of the American population after all. Considering a normal show in primetime only garners a few million viewers each week (excluding shows like American Idol) that number is pretty good. And, while it doesn't compare to the whopping 70 million viewers that tuned into last week's Vice Presidential debate, the number is higher than the first debate between Senators Obama and McCain which garnered only 54 million viewers.

Why the uptick? Well, I'm no political or media analyst but there are probably a few factors. One is that we are one week closer to the election and Americans who are on the fence are now starting to take the race more seriously. Another is the rise in interest after the Vice Presidential debate (which, to me, seemed so rushed it gave me a headache). A third could be the format that the debate took place under -- a town hall style where both moderator and audience were able to ask questions. Unfortunately, moderator Tom Brokaw asked more of the questions than the audience, which made the 'Town Hall' format somewhat pointless.

What this means for next week's televised debate, which will be the last before the election, is unknown. We've already seen both candidates talk about some of the same things in both debates. This could mean less interest by viewers. On the flip-side, with this being the last debate, more viewers may tune in to see the last jabs thrown before they take to their campaign trails for a final burst of electioneering.