The real debate winner? MSNBC

Scoring what may be the last debate between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama in this campaign gave MSNBC a major ratings victory Tuesday. The 90-minute forum, anchored by Brian Williams and Tim Russert, drew 7.78 million viewers, the biggest audience the cable news network has had in its 11-year history. (The audience includes those who watched on nine local Ohio stations that simulcast the debate.)

The Democratic face-off in Cleveland was the third highest-rated debate of the season, and made MSNBC the second-most watched network between 9 and 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, beat out only by Fox, which aired “American Idol” and “Back to You” during the first hour of the debate.