The big stage — in a venue where Marlon Brando made his theatrical debut in “A Streetcar Named Desire” — brought out the most vicious attacks yet in the governor’s race Monday night between Republican Bob Stefanowski and Democrat Ned Lamont.
The rivals spent most of the hour trying to define each other as a tax-and-spend liberal (Lamont) and Connecticut’s answer to Donald Trump (Stefanowski).
The debate sponsored by the Connecticut Realtors and broadcast by WCTX and WTNH Ch. 8 was the second face-to-face debate of five between Lamont and Stefanowski.
So what did we learn?
The Good
The pressure was on Lamont going into the debate to sharpen his criticism of Stefanowski’s plan to repeal the state income tax, which opponents say will wipe out $10 billion in annual revenue.
It took Lamont a little time to find his footing, but he found his voice in the second half of the debate and directly challenged his GOP foe to do the arithmetic.
“Bob Stefanowski, explain in just the vaguest detail how you plan to cut $10 billion from this budget,” Lamont said, delivering an applause line to his supporters in the crowd of 1,600 people. “Right now, after 12 months of campaigning. We’ve had 12 months of platitudes.”
On the plus side for Stefanowski, the former UBS Investment Bank executive was able to sustain the narrative that he crafted in the first debate — that he’ll cut taxes and Lamont won’t.
The North Haven native immediately hit Lamont on his one-time support for a high-speed tolls plan to raise transportation revenue for the state, which Lamont abandoned in favor of tolling out-of-state heavy trucks. He also whacked him on a proposed statewide motor vehicle tax, which would replace town-by-town motor vehicle taxes and lower taxes for 75 percent of residents.
“I don’t know about you guys but I can’t follow the bouncing ball,” Stefanowski said. “I don’t know about you guys but I see higher taxes coming a mile away.”
The Bad
Both candidates elicited their share of jeers from the packed crowd — and their growing disdain was evident.
Stefanowski struck a nerve with the audience when attempting to rebut Lamont’s claim that patients with pre-existing medical conditions would be at risk of being dropped by their insurance carriers in a Stefanowski administration.
He said that he supports protections for people with pre-existing conditions and they are codified in Connecticut law.
“You may not know it because I’m not sure what you know,” Stefanowski said.
Similarly, Lamont was rebuked by the audience when he said during his closing statement that Stefanowski would run the state like a brutish corporate raider.
“I’ve never heard such arrogance. My way or the highway,” Lamont said to groans.
The Ugly
The hooliganism of their first debate — minus the pushing and shoving — carried over for Lamont and Stefanowski’s supporters.
Outside the Shubert Theatre, they cursed at each other and exchanged insults.
Several New Haven police officers stood between the opposing factions and kept the peace.
Oz Griebel, an independent petition candidate, had unsuccessfully called on the Lamont and Stefanowski to boycott the debate if he was not included.
The former CEO of the MetroHartford Alliance was snubbed by organizers of last week’s and this week’s debates because of his single-digit polling numbers.
The lone mention of “Oz” came during a one-liner from Stefanowski, who spurned Lamont’s comparisons of Stefanowski’s economic plan to one that failed in Kansas.
