Public policy is no match for escapist entertainment, it's long been thought. Sunday's Academy Awards, for example, were watched by 33.6 million, a jump of 13 percent from last year.
But Hollywood just has movie stars. Washington, at least as far as the ratings race goes, has a Barack star.
And indeed, with Americans concurrently hopeful about a new president and fearful for their futures, President Obama's Address to a Joint Session of Congress (a rookie president's version of the annual State of the Union Address) was watched by more than 52 million people Tuesday night, which not only out-rated the Oscars, but was an increase of nearly 40 percent over the 37.5 million who viewed President Bush's final address last year.
Carried over 10 national networks, it was watched by even more than the 51.7 million who viewed Bush's post-9/11 address over eight networks in 2002, but was less than the recent record of 62 million who watched just weeks before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Interest in the issues - and the new president presiding over them - is high, especially compared to 2001, the last time a newly elected president made his first address. That year Bush drew a relatively low 39.8 million over seven networks.
But it's not nearly as high as the initial curiosity about Obama's Democratic presidential predecessor, Bill Clinton, who melded Washington wonkiness and Hollywood melodrama throughout his administration. His first Address drew 66.9 million over four networks. At times he held that interest, but not in the way he had hoped: His 1998 pre-impeachment address before the House and the Senate - which would soon judge him - was watched by 53 million over eight networks. A year later, in the post-impeachment environment, it was back to international affairs, not intern affairs, and the figure fell to 44.5 million over seven networks.
