Last night’s televised mayoral debate was predictable, confusing, and rather uninformative. The candidates stuck to their talking points and fought for the last word every chance they got. If voters actually wanted to learn about the candidates, the internet might have proved more useful and less… annoying. Twelve hopefuls, two moderators, and a whole lot of jockeying for position.

No one candidate is to blame for last night, though: The format of the event was a bit rough.

And yes, there were too many candidates. Sorry David James Wyatt, but last night was not your time to shine. With so many candidates, the front-runners were expected to play it safe and stick to what got them there in the first place. And they did.

We won’t fault Connolly for his straightforward, nonchalant response to the opening question last night regarding casino voting.

“They are going to live with this casino in a way no one else in the city can,” Connolly said. “I think the right thing to do here is have an East Boston vote.”

It was an obvious response to a question everyone knew was coming. It would have been an issue if he didn’t have a rehearsed statement.

Still, it was the first time all twelve mayoral hopefuls shared a stage. So while it was often to hard hear anything truly useful above the din, there were some talking points to take away from the event.

Dan Conley is The Undecided Contender

Dan Conley’s advocacy for a citywide casino vote was just as predictable as Connolly’s stance, shared by all but two candidates.

Bill Walczak, shares Conley’s position on a citywide vote and also said a casino in Boston “isn’t the right idea,” reaffirming his anti-Casino platform. Conley didn’t go quite as far, choosing not to oppose a Casino outright.

Conley came under fire for his stance on education. When asked by moderator Joe Battenfeld why he chose not to send his children to Boston Public Schools, Conley said it was a personal choice made by him and his wife. He was quick to add that he cares about all students.

Surprisingly, Connolly rushed to Conley’s defense, challenging Battenfeld’s framing of the question. This became a theme during the night amongst the candidates. While Battenfeld’s question may have been fairly leading at times, there would have been value in a straight response. Conley, who is strongly advocating for the cap on charter schools to be lifted, struggled to find a response to Battenfeld’s question.

Conley could have used this attack as a way to address specific needs within the public schools system. Instead, Conley came across as having no plans for Boston Public School reform other than increasing access to charter schools.

The District Attorney’s resume on crime prevention and reduction was also called into question.

The Unions Have a Strong Presence 

Marty Walsh, who is trailing Connolly in the polls by just a percentage point, was asked to identify three areas where he differentiates from his powerful union base. Walsh pointed to his stance on education reform, charter school reform and pension reform, while also touting his experience with union contract negotiations.

Felix Arroyo, who, along with Walsh, is the candidate backed by the city unions, was the most passionate of the 12. When questioned about his ties to unions, Arroyo did try to avoid answering questions on how he would prevent being “in the pockets” of the Unions. Instead, he acknowledged, “I know how to get what’s best for the workers and also what’s best for the city.” Specifically, Arroyo pointed to his representation of 16,000 janitors and other service workers.

Ross and Richie Stood Out By Remaining Silent

Ross, who in his jobs plan pointed to his negotiations with the Boston Firefighter’s union, was attacked by Walsh on this issue. Walsh claimed Mike Ross “only stood up after the deal was done.” Despite the attack, Ross remained one of the few levelheaded candidates during the debate.

Ross touched on longer hours of operation for the MBTA, referencing his work on the now-defunct “Night Owl” program that kept public transit open until 3 a.m. Ross claimed it is “our” responsibility to make sure it is funded.

Like Ross, Charlotte Golar Richie’s best asset last night was her refusal to get “sucked into the kicking and screaming that dominated so much of the debate.” Last night was the time for the reserved mayoral hopeful to take hold of an issue and attract voters. Golar Richie elected to showcase her maturity instead, refusing to talk over or cut off any candidate. She “gave people watching Monday’s debate a glimpse of why she was seen by so many as a candidate with great promise,” according to a Boston Business Journal report.

The Candidates Can’t Agree on Menino 

Candidate’s opinions were split when it came to Lame Duck Mayor Thomas Menino. Arroyo and Ross were the most fierce supporters of Menino, praising his decision to continue to work despite his limited remaining time.

Walsh and Walczak were Menino’s biggest critics, citing, among other things, the Mayor’s late casino push and multi-billion-dollar housing plan that’ll soon become the responsibility of his successor. “Please stop,” demanded Walczak.” Walsh asked the incumbent to “scale back some of his plans.”

Photo via Salon.com