 These are one of the few occasions where you do expect the whole country to be tuning in. So it surprises me a little bit, especially late on the East Coast in June with the election several months away. But in fact, I think it's been my experience as a reporter, people do take presidential elections seriously. They do feel an obligation to tune in to big moments, just as lots of Americans still watch the State of the Union address, even as they've tuned out lots of other news.