Pundits are declaring last night’s debate a draw. Here’s Kevin Rennie, a columnist for the Hartford Courant:
Mrs. McMahon got off to a strong start, Mr. Blumenthal took longer to find his footing. Then he did, the 5-term attorney general dominated the professional wrestling mogul, causing her to make repeated attempts to explain her support for the minimum wage.
And Rick Green, also a columnist for the Courant:
Blumy gets points for staying with McMahon, even with her stagey (and good) “How do you create a job” question and the lame “the fact that your family owns the Empire State Building” line.
I think McMahon countered the whole minimum wage issue by repeatedly throwing the issue back on Blumenthal, suggesting that he’s lying again. I was waiting for Blumenthal to hit her hard on the minimum wage. He didn’t.
Meanwhile, polls show Blumenthal with a widening lead. Yesterday, CT Capitol Report released a poll, in which Blumenthal led Linda McMahon 52.4 to 44.7 percent (H/t: Capitol Watch):
“With a month to go, Richard Blumenthal enjoys a competitive advantage stronger than the relatively close poll numbers would suggest,” says the poll’s executive director Matthew Fitch, in a press release. “He has crossed the 50% threshold, and his supporters appear committed, with 87.5% of them saying they will definitely vote for him. Linda McMahon has run a strong campaign, and also enjoys a strong commitment from her supporters, with 83% of her followers saying they will definitely vote for her.