Whether one thinks John McCain danced like Fred Astaire around a plodding Barack Obama or thinks Obama stomped a mud puddle in McCain and then walked it dry, there's one point concerning their first debate that everyone should be able to agree on. The high viewership was a plus.

More than 50 million Americans reportedly watched the discussion. That doesn't come close to the 80 million who watched the Carter-Reagan contest in 1980, but it's much higher than the less-than-45-million who tuned in in 1996 and 2000. Last week's vice-presidential debate did even better.

Debate audiences generally have been shrinking since 1980, in actual terms and as a percentage of voters. That might be partly owing to the fact that Americans now get their information about the candidates from a cornucopia of sources, and partly owing to growing disinterest.

Whatever the reason, it's refreshing to see the trend turn around -- at least for now.