Same sex marriage supporters are still lamenting the fact that the Prop 8 trial is not unfolding on television.

But what they would witness is not a neat, exciting package of drama, exposition, drama, but more like drama, exposition, more exposition, and still more exposition.

Tuesday was a study in that contrasts: The emotional, and even gripping testimony of San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, who switched his stance and supported same-sex marriage in 2007, and the technical and detailed testimony of Lee Badgett, a U Mass researcher who provided an array of statistics on the economic boost of marriage to same-sex couples and families — and the lack of impact on heterosexual couples. It was the latter that took up the bulk of the day.

While judges and litigators are used to the dense portions of proceedings — on Tuesday, the trial got in to Census methodology — Badgett’s testimony and cross examination appeared to test the patience of Judge Vaughn Walker. After lengthy questioning of Badgett from Prop 8 lead counsel Charles Cooper, the judge finally interjected, “All right, ready to move on to the next subject.” Cooper himself had a habit of rocking back and forth in his leather chair while listening to direct examinations.

Read the rest of Ted Johnson’s Variety article here.