More on the debate

This morning there's a lot of analysis of the Senate debate last night featuring Attorney General Dick Blumenthal and Mystic businessman Merrick Alpert.

Christine Stuart has a great write up over at CT News Junkie. I sat next to Christine in the press section, which was in the last two rows in the side section even though the theater was roughly half empty. We mostly resorted to taking handwritten notes because we didn't know they allowed laptops into the theater. They banned all cameras from the theater as if the dissemination of a photo or two of the debate would have brought about the end of the free world.

Another reporter commented that she was jealous that I was taking notes with a black fine-point Bic Grip-Roller pen, which made my notes very readable in the darkened theater while she thoughtlessly brought only a pencil. Rookie. She often had to use her Blackberry to illuminate her work. She also coughed several times during the debate, and I gave a thought to loudly "shushing" her, but decided against it.

(I learned in journalism school that using minor details like these often help illustrate a story while simultaneously boring the living shit out of the reader)

CT Blogger posted videos from the debate over at My Left Nutmeg, and Jon Kantrowitz also discussed the debate there.

Aldon Hynes has his take over at Orient Lodge.

The crowd in the theater was well behaved as there were no Tea Baggers present. Outside, there were roughly 15 members of a carpenter's union showing their support for Blumenthal, while maybe a half-dozen Alpert boosters held signs and answered questions.

After the event members of the media were somewhat annoyed that the attorney general left immediately. From what I'd heard, there was an understanding that Mr. Blumenthal would be available for the Q&A backstage right after the debate. Mr. Alpert presented himself for questions, and I have the entire Q&A video below.

Note: I just bought a mono-pod to hold the camera more steady, but I didn't realize how much I was swinging the camera side to side. I promise on my next video to hold it much steadier. You have to agree that even working journalists like myself have a bit of a learning curve when it comes to new equipment.