The viewership of the 2016 US presidential debate is expected to surpass the 80 million who watched Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in 1980, the record for a presidential debate, and rank among television benchmarks like the finales of M.A.S.H. That would surpass the 80 million who watched Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in 1980, the record for a presidential debate, and rank among television benchmarks like the finales of M.A.S.H.and Cheers. In Paris, many of those abroad for Fashion Week are setting middle-of-the-night alarms so they can watch the debate live—at 3 am local time. Also Read: US presidential polls: Ted Cruz, once a bitter rival, endorses Donald TrumpMany may tune in merely for the spectacle. “The president’s fired up about Monday Night Football,” Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, playfully told reporters who asked if Obama planned to watch the debate.

Source: Mint September 25, 2016 15:45 UTC