Debate Report

I apologize for the lack of a debate play-by-play. Since so many of us were here, apparently no one thought to put up a thread for you guys!

So here's what happened. This was a very lively debate, probably the most lively of the three, mostly due to the fact that the audience was not stopped from applauding or making noise after candidates gave their responses to questions. There was loud applause after each statement.

Alan Schlesinger probably made the biggest impression on the audience for several reasons. First, he was his usual entertaining self. He had the crowd in stitches several times. Second, Schlesinger's ideas were different enough from Lamont and Lieberman's that they were almost surprising. His ideas are relatively new to people.

The third way that Schlesinger made an impression was during the second disruption, during which a group of LaRouche supporters started singing an insulting and loud song about Lieberman when the senator was speaking. The first happened during a routine answer to the question: the second during Lieberman's closing statement. All the candidates asked the hecklers to stop, and audience members started shouting for them to shut up. Schlesinger leapt out of his chair, clearly enraged, and shouted for them to "show some respect for the senator!" And, for just a second, they stopped, while the crowd applauded wildly.

Ned Lamont seemed to do well enough, although he seemed to wander here and there. Lieberman, despite his cold, essentially repeated his performance from the last two debates.

Very little was said on policy that was new or different from either the candidates' earlier positions or commercials, or from the earlier debates, with the possible exception of Alan Schlesinger (whose positions are less well-known).

George Stephanopolous was a disappointing moderator, breaking in when Schlesinger veered away from a question (to Schlesinger's irritation), but failing to do so when either Lamont or Lieberman did the same (Schlesinger later called him on this). It is also the job of the moderator to control the crowd. Stephanopolous did not do this at all, and he managed time poorly.

Both Schlesinger and Lamont have expressed a willingness to have more debates, while Lieberman demurred.

I have included pictures here from the scene right before the debate. These pictures were taken by both CGG and myself. At least one shows an anti-Israel group which had a significant presence at the debate, while another shows the bagpipe band which accompanied Lamont down the street.