Another Win for the Gipper

Pundits have gushed at the enormous attendance and TV viewership of Barack Obama's inauguration, and both certainly stand out compared to very recent inaugurals. But while the enthusiasm is impressive, it isn't unprecedented.

Live attendance for Obama's inauguration is estimated at 800,000 to 1.8 million - as compared to Lyndon Johnson's inaugural with 1.2 million people. But considering that the U.S. population has increased over 50% since 1965, the equivalent population-adjusted figure for LBJ is 1.9 million.

Nielson ratings indicate 37.8 million watched Barack Obama's inaugural on TV at home vs. 41.8 million for Ronald Reagan's inauguration in 1981. To be fair, many people viewed this inaugural on their computers at work which would add to viewership - but no such option existed in Reagan's day, when those at work who wanted to participate may have listened on the radio instead.

More significantly, the U.S. population has grown by nearly a third since 1981 - which would make the current population-adjusted viewership for Reagan's inaugural 55.3 million.

Count this as another win for the Gipper.