GOP convention TV audience down sharply

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TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The television audience for the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla., was down sharply from four years ago, a poll released Wednesday indicated.

The Pew Research Center for People and the Press reported 37 percent of the U.S. public said they watched all or some of the Republican convention on television, down from 56 percent in 2008.

The center said there was a modest increase after the convention in the percentage of people saying they view presidential nominee Mitt Romney more favorably, but 20 percent said actor Clint Eastwood's speech was the convention highlight compared to 17 percent who cited Romney's speech.

One in four said there was no convention highlight, the same as four years ago.

The center said 25 percent say their opinion of Romney has become more favorable in the past few days, rising from 18 percent during the week before the GOP convention.

Overall ratings for Romney's speech were similar to those for Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech in 2008 -- 21 percent say Romney's speech was excellent, 32 percent good, 21 percent fair and 13 percent poor.

The poll was conducted Aug. 31-Sept. 3 among 1,008 adults. Pew offered no margin of error.