Nielsen: 20.6 million watched inauguration
President Barack Obama is sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts as first lady Michelle Obama and daughters, Sasha and Malia, look on during inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Jan. 21, 2013, in Washington. / Getty
Nielsen says an estimated 20.6 million people watched President Barack Obama's second inauguration on TV, sharply down from his first.
The company, which measures television audience, says the number represents just over half of the 37.8 million people who saw Obama's first inauguration in 2009. Eighteen networks aired some part of this year's inaugural ceremony on Monday.
Highlights from Obama's 2nd inauguration
According to Nielsen records, this year's ceremony was the second least-watched inauguration since 1969. It beat only President George W. Bush's second ceremony in 2005, which was seen by 15.5 million.
The most-watched inauguration since 1969 was President Ronald Reagan's first oath-taking in 1981, which was seen by 41.8 million people.
NBC had the largest number of viewers among broadcast networks on Monday, with CNN the cable news leader.
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17.2 million viewers were smart enough to tell the politicians and the media "Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me twice; shame on me".
Hopefully; the politicians will recognize the fact that the American people are fed up to their teeth with 535 lying, whining, corrupt, dysfunctional so called "representatives" of the American people and are not going to let them get away with selling the United States down the river to big banks, big business, drug companies, Wall Street, mortgage companies and foreign countries any more.!!
Roughly 7 percent of the population watched the inauguration. Given that Monday (despite the Martin Luther King holiday) was a work day/school day for at least half of the U.S. population, that's not a bad interest level.
Meanwhile, last Saturday, roughly 20,000 people demonstrated at state capitals for the NRA's "Gun Appreciation Day." That's 0.006% percent (six one-thousandths of a percent) of the population.
Feel free to draw your own conclusions....