Democrat''s ad attracts 33 million viewers

New York: If Senator Barack Obama were a television executive, he would have a hit on his hands.

More than 33 million people watched Obama's paid political ad on Wednesday night on seven networks, Nielsen Media Research has reported, delivering a larger audience for that time period than the usual viewership this season.

On an average Wednesday night, the same networks get an audience of 30.3 million people between 8pm and 8:30pm.

The commercial, which ran on CBS, Fox, NBC, Univision, BET, MSNBC and TV One, drew an audience that was more than half the size as the one that tuned into the final debate between Obama and Senator John McCain on October 15. That forum had 56.5 million viewers. The infomercial was especially popular among black viewers, attracting 15.2 per cent of that demographic. Overall, 11.6 per cent of television viewers watched the ad.

- Los Angeles Times

Washington Post News Service

Mumbai (AFP) Indian astrologers are predicting Barack Obama will win the US presidential election by a comfortable margin, but one warned of potentially life-threatening times ahead for the Democratic candidate.

"Obama is 100 per cent in Leo and Leos are not only born leaders but they have a special charm all of their own," well-known Indian astrologer Bejan Daruwalla told AFP.

"(Republican candidate) John McCain has good points but he's nowhere in the picture. He's miles away. He has been outshadowed by the Leo. He might have been very good in his time but this is not the right time."

Fellow Mumbai astrologer Raj Kumar Sharma also forecast a clear Obama victory in the November 4 vote - mirroring the latest opinion poll data that suggests the 47-year-old Illinois senator is out in front.

"The circumstances and conjunction of stars are very clearly indicating that John McCain is going to lose this election and Barack Obama is going to win, at least by 10 per cent," he said.