Former Greenwich selectman/telecommunications millionaire Ned Lamont had better increase his production values. The microphone in the Old State House phased into distortion several times, spoiling some part of audio feeds for radio and TV. The Democratic gubernatorial hopeful did have one smart media tactic, though. Rather than take questions at the podium like a real news conference, Lamont finished his 17-minute overview (takeaway: “courage”) and then sauntered over to a scrum of a dozen reporters gathered around, straining to hear more generaltiies about “jobs” and a strong statement on the likelihood of his not participating in the state’s public financing system. It was the first question out of the scrum, via Channel 8’s Mark Davis. “I’m not taking any special intererst money. A big believer in clean campaigns, but I’m not going into this battle with one arm tied behind my back. We have raised tens of thousands of dollars in small-money donations, but right now it’s not a level playing field. I’ll be opting out of the public financing. The stakes are just too high, Mark. It’s all about changing the way we do business in Connecticut, and start creating some jobs again.”