At the start of tonight’s debate, Errol Louis, the lead moderator, asked the candidates about policing in New York City. As each spoke, the others listened quietly, waiting for their moment to speak.

Then, Mr. Louis asked a question of all the candidates, and a cacophony of voices, apparently free from the silence of “mute,” crashed into each other.

Such was the nature of a virtual debate, where the eight participants sat in their homes or offices rather than hashing out policy positions on a stage.

The candidates in this year’s mayoral race have become experts at delivering stump speeches virtually, and their experience was clear. Eric Adams, Andrew Yang, Maya Wiley and Scott Stringer sat in front of campaign posters or backdrops, branding that helped remind voters of their names every time they were onscreen.

In the first hour, glitches were rare, though at one point Mr. Yang appeared to be stuck on mute.

But the format created some awkward interactions. During a section on reopening and the economy, Josefa Velasquez, another moderator, was struggling to keep candidates to their time limits.

As Shaun Donovan ran long, Ms. Velasquez tried to interrupt him, with little success. As she tried to move along, she scolded him lightly and issued a warning.

“We would hate to use the mute function on anyone,” Ms. Velasquez chided.

Source: Read Full Article