Presidential ratings are driven by a bunch of factors, mostly bullshit. These include money, media, and lying. The best liar who gives the most money to the media will likely have high ratings. However, ratings mean nothing they are used as a toool by the media machines to garner ratings. The standard american media style of covering an election can be compared to how horse races are covered. For example RED in the front! Now BLUE in the front! RED back in the lead! They say a lot but at the end of the day and end of the election the ratings mean nothing. What really matters is who wins the swing states ratings can give you(and them) a general idea of which way the state is leaning but nobody fucking knows until the votes are counted. The "Ratings" are usually generated by bullshit phone surveys that only idiots and old people actually answer. Very reliable stuff.
Part 2?