Lamont v. Malloy Debate This viewer has to hand it to Ned Lamont, who seemed move lively, energetic and full of ideas than Dan Malloy, who appeared almost somnolent at times. What on earth was Malloy thinking about with that tie?
I'll admit there's still that deer-in-the-headlights issue with Lamont, but at least he's got something more to say than "hey, we did it in Stamford and we can do it in Hartford." They did it in Stamford with millions of dollars from state taxpayers, by the way.
I agree with Mr. Green. Ned appeared calmer and better prepared for this debate than the NBC30 one. He looked more in command. As I said in another post, Ned has the energy, actually more energy, than the Energizer Bunny, which is what made him a successful entrepreneur, but it doesn't work in a formal debate setting. He needed to rein in that energy and appear calm.
Before this debate, I had sent the Lamont campaign my critiques of Ned's NBC30 performance and a few others since that debate. Since formal debates fit the training of a lawyer, whose daily job is to debate, Ned needed his own frame to approach debates. After some thought, I realized that professors are also debaters and since Ned had been a teacher, he should envisions himself in the debates as a professor/teacher answering questions from his students.
I also suggested he give examples and explain them a bit of what he means after listing his policy positions and not to assume that people know what he is talking about when he mentions things, like reforming schools the way New Haven did. He did that today.
Overall, Ned Lamont struck the right balance between calm and enthusiasm in his debate performance today. This was the best I've seen him debate. He still needs practice and refining of his debate persona, but he appears to be on the right track.
Dan Malloy's main problem is that he falls into what George Lakoff calls the Rationality Trap. He tries to jam in all the data he can remember in the few minutes he has to answer the question as if reciting statistics, which most viewers won't be able to verify, will impress people that he is smarter than his opponent and thus deserves to be governor. I don't know if that approach will work with CT Dems, but I doubt it will work in the general election with unaffiliated voters. Just ask Al Gore and John Kerry how that went.
Malloy's other problem is that he doesn't modulate his voice. He's got a motor mouth and it makes what he is saying sound like a long run-on sentence.
Best line from Lamont:"Dan, we can't afford all your promises. I'm inheriting a $3.5 billion budget deficit. I can't make any promises."
Yes, I remember that line too. It was a good one. Though I don't think it would work in a ad verbatim, but an ad that questions all the promises Malloy is making and how he will pay for it could be good.
Malloy says "you don't want this state to be run by a CEO." Really? Why not? We've got a legislature full of special interest politicians. I want a good manager who can make the right choices in the governor's office. For today, Lamont looked better.
When asked how Ned's successful business career would help him be a good governor, Ned correctly gave examples of good governors who had also been successful entrepreneurs: former Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia and current governor of Deleware, Jack Markell. Markell is the man who took a small business called Fleet Call, which only had 13 employees, and grew into the company now known as Nextel.
I have to say to Team Lamont, good job on preparing your candidate for the debate and good job to Ned Lamont himself for a very good performance. Just don't get cocky, Ned. Calming down in these settings made you look in command. Remember that.
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