GOP debates interest

Poll: Democrats showing outsize interest in GOP debates

By Nolan D. McCaskill

Donald Trump is must-see TV, and not just for Republicans.

A recently released Pew survey found that large numbers of Democrats have been tuning in to the GOP prime-time debates, while Republicans have not shown as much interest in the showdowns between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. No word, yet, on whether that held true for Thursday night's debate, which Trump boycotted after feuding with Fox News.

Among those who have watched at least one debate, 70 percent of Democrats said they have watched a Republican debate, the survey released Thursday found. But less than half of all Republican debate watchers have tuned into a Democratic contest — most of which have come on weekends, including the Saturday before Christmas and the Sunday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Republicans overall, though, were found to have increased interest in the debates compared to Democrats and Independents. Sixty-four percent of Republicans have watched a debate, while just 53 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of independents have done the same.

Among those who have watched at least one debate, however, an overwhelming 94 percent of Republicans have seen a GOP debate; 86 percent have seen a Democratic debate.

Nearly nine in 10 Democrats who have watched multiple debates watched contests on both sides; 59 percent of Republicans who have seen multiple debates watched both a Republican and Democratic debate. Among the same group, 41 percent have only watched the Republicans spar — a drastic contrast to the 8 percent of Democrats who have only seen Democratic debates.