Nutter was significantly more aggressive in questioning both candidates last night than he was with Domb and Rhynhart. He pressed both on specific issues and legislation that they supported (Parker the residency requirement stuff, Gym the lawsuit against the city by the school district.) I wonder if he got feedback that he was too soft the last round, or if those candidates just aligned more with his moderate, pro-business values.

That said, the animosity felt real and personal when Gym went on the attack against his record as mayor in terms of supporting schools. It was only after that he dropped the line asking whether she said the quote about systems of oppression falling away, when she entered the Union League. It felt like a low blow. It was certainly fair to ask about the Union League but in this context it felt like a punchline to get a rise out of the audience and Gym. I also thought that he pressed her way harder on the potential conflict of interest with the pharma bill than he pressed Domb about his potential conflicts of interest.

Didn't they mention possibly trying to set up a second round of interviews focused more on policy? I would certainly attend. This format was more effective than listening to a stump speech while offering more depth than a traditional debate.