Is Biden Coming To CNN's Ratings Rescue -- Or The Opposite?

Written By BlabberBuzz | Wednesday, 20 October 2021 02:50 PM
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On Thursday President Biden is scheduled to feature in another CNN town hall, his third yet with the ratings-challenged network in just over six months. Anderson Cooper will be asking the questions at the Baltimore event in front of a special, hand-picked audience.

CNN announced the live broadcast production, which is expected to air at 8 p.m. ET and last around 90 minutes. The production’s venue has yet to be revealed.

Biden has already participated in two CNN town halls since taking office – one with anchor Anderson Cooper in February and another with Don Lemon in July.

The president is scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh the day before in order to deliver remarks promoting his massive spending agenda. Notably, the public appearance comes at a critical time for his political aspirations.

Biden is meeting with lawmakers all week long to negotiate both aspects of his stalled proposals — a troubled economic package to expand social spending alongside a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.

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On Thursday, the day President Biden will take part in the town hall, Vice President Kamala Harris will be campaigning for gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe in nearby Virginia, a source familiar with Harris’ event confirmed to CNN.

Biden only has a limited timeframe to wrangle Democrats behind a solution before he departs for a trip to Italy – his second international trip since becoming president – to attend the COP 26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, and the Group of 20 (G20) summit.

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The president will also travel to Scranton, Pa., on Wednesday to pitch his $4.7 trillion economic agenda.

He told reporters Monday that he would be having words with Sen. Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, who has objected to the price tag of the sprawling economic proposals.

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The president’s supporters are hoping his Thursday appearance in Baltimore will engage more viewers than his previous efforts with CNN and deal with issues that resonate more with voters rather than alienate them.

Back in July he sparked fury when he spoke about a “push to eliminate” 9mm pistols that have an ammunition capacity beyond that of which the left approves, as Breitbart News reported. “The idea you need a weapon that can have the ability to fire 20, 30, 40, 50, 120 shots from that weapon, whether it’s a 9mm pistol or whether it’s a rifle, is ridiculous. I’m continuing to push to eliminate the sale of those things,” Biden said.

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That night failed to shake up cable ratings as the left-leaning CNN and its tame guest languished in the shadows of Fox News and MSNBC for primetime hours.

The town hall, moderated by CNN anchor Don Lemon, garnered just a little more than half the amount of the total viewers Fox News had at the same time, and finished third in ratings for the night, falling just behind MSNBC.

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