Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris once again graced the airwaves with her presence, this time in a cozy chat with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle. One might assume a tête-à-tête like this would be a slam dunk for the Vice President, but instead, it was met with a mouthful of criticism. Even the usually sympathetic New York Times couldn’t help but publicly poke holes in her performance. It turns out that when it comes to captivating an audience, Harris may have drawn a blank—and the viewer numbers certainly back that theory up.
Nielsen Media Research crunched the numbers, revealing that while Ruhle’s interview managed to attract approximately 1.7 million viewers, it paled in comparison to other offerings on the air. For instance, during that same hour, Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” pulled in a whopping 2.2 million souls, proving that sometimes, people would rather tune into commentary from conservatives than cheerleading for the Vice President. The prized 25-54 demographic is elusive, but Ingraham still managed to snag a higher chunk of that pie, outdoing Harris in both total viewers and the coveted demo category.
Did Anyone Actually Watch Harris' Interview With MSNBC?
https://t.co/IZl9ZFr7Cw— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 27, 2024
If that weren’t enough of a smackdown, Fox News proudly touted their overall dominance in the cable news landscape from 7-11 PM ET. With a total of 2.7 million viewers during that window, Fox decisively eclipsed both CNN and MSNBC, which averaged 735,000 and 1.5 million viewers respectively. Not exactly the glowing reviews the Democrats might hope for during a potential election year—this is more like a wake-up call to the party that no amount of starry-eyed interviews with celebrity hosts will win them votes.
The Ruhle interview took place less than a week after the much-panned chat with Oprah, where the Vice President found herself drifting off course like a lost ship. Celebrities might have tuned in to show their support, but it didn’t help Harris redefine her image. With plenty of soft questions aimed at her, including those that skirted around real policy issues, one can’t help but wonder if this strategy is more about avoiding tough conversations than actually championing the Democratic agenda.
In the face of these media mishaps, conservative voices like Laura Ingraham didn’t hold back. She gleefully pointed out the shortcomings of Harris during the Ruhle interview on social media, suggesting that even her most supportive platforms might be regretting their decision to feature her. The viral commentary surrounding the interview reveals that even liberal pundits are waking up to the reality that Harris might not be cut out for the rigors of facing tough questions from legitimate critics.
With polling still showing uncertainty among undecided voters, these interviews—filled with friendly queries and pat-on-the-back sentiments—aren’t going to lead to the election success Democrats hope for. For the Vice President, it’s starting to appear that the only thing worse than a tough interview might be one where nobody watches it at all.
