Above all, he was very close to the campaign (though it could be argued that anyone who watched C-Span was).
But when he came home for the summer, his mother spied him watching C-Span, and knew he was headed in another direction.
North Dakotans joke that it is often too cold to do anything but stay inside, read books and watch C-Span.
Television coverage matters a lot here, and many voters watch C-Span and public broadcasting in addition to the networks.
This turns out to be particularly unsettling when watching C-Span, which I am able to view live over the Internet.
Most citizens do not have the time or inclination to watch C-Span.
Only 4 percent of the public reports watching C-Span in a seven-day period.
They still read the newspapers and watch C-Span.
I would not normally be watching C-Span, and neither would 99.9% of others who tuned in to watch him in this debate.
"This is easier for people to understand than reading books, reading newspapers or watching C-Span."