“Few people see the debates. Lots of people see his ads.”
Only people between the ages of 55-up would ever be in this specific group.
Lots of people will see LOTS of that debate through alternative means.
Well, I’m 66 and I see it all. And a lot of us older people have the time and inclination to educate ourselves. Meanwhile, I’m around a lot of young people that live through their phones and the apps on it. They ignore the political crap and focus on the cultural stuff. Well, the ones that are not political wonks do, anyway. The ignorance on display with this group is truly shocking. It’s the old joke about them knowing nothing, but they can tell you what their favorite celebrity had for breakfast every day this week.
33.5 million tuned into the debate compared to 5 - 8 million who normally watch. They were there to see Bloomberg and he bombed. Those people aren't going to watch the next debate. Carefully scripted adds are not going to overcome the impression left by that debate. You only get one chance to make a first impression.