Monday’s CNN Democratic presidential debate from Myrtle Beach was a monster hit, by political debate standards anyway. According to the Associated Press, it was the most-watched debate in cable history.

An estimated 4.9 million people watched Monday’s show from South Carolina, which featured contentious exchanges between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It eclipsed CNN’s Nov. 28 debate with Republican candidates, which had nearly 4.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Cable still doesn’t have the reach of broadcast TV, however: ABC’s prime-time Democratic debate on Jan. 5 before the New Hampshire primary was seen by 9.36 million people, Nielsen said.

Seven of the 10 most-watched primary debates in cable TV history are from this election cycle. Such debates have been shown on cable TV since 1996. [AP]

The Dems are on to something here. The more these things incorporate the “real-life” drama found on reality shows, the better the ratings.

I can’t wait to see the 2012 debates. I would imagine something involving a helicopter, a fire pit, a candidate who’s actually just a construction worker, a $100,000 modeling contract with CoverGirl, the host of Dancing with the Stars and a man-eating tiger. Oh, and twists and turns around every corner.