Green Party Saboteur

Is Matt Funiciello's goal to win as representative of the district? Don't be silly.

Then, in a series of interviews, Funiciello declared that he was mostly putting his sights on Derrick, the Democrat from the town of Peru. Speaking with the Watertown Daily Times Editorial board, Funiciello said that he will probably lose the race this year, but hopes to set the stage for a win in 2018.

“I think what’s going to happen is I’m going to beat the Democrat in this election cycle,” Funiciello said. “And I’m going to show that we really better talk together about doing something with the voters who are out there for the next election cycle.”

Yes, he knows he's not going to win, but he wants to so damage the Democrats that they don't run a candidate in 2018. And no, he's not going to beat the Democrat in this cycle. 

It’s unconventional for a candidate to talk in these terms in the middle of an on-going election, not least because Funiciello also says bluntly that many Democrats in the North Country may not support him, even if he is the only candidate on the left. "I think there are many [Democrats] who would support Elise in a third race, honestly," Funiciello said. "Those voters are going to keep voting for war and empire and economic injustice, so long as they've got theirs."

Funiciello went on to predict that a "huge majority" of voters made up of "non-voters, independents, Democrats, Greens and Socialists who are going to say enough is enough" could eventually give him a majority of votes.

Let's go to last night's debate to address that idea of the "majority" he's going to put together in defeating Stefanik one on one. 

Stefanik and Derrick said they are in favor of expanding broadband access into the North Country. Funiciello cited the peacefulness of the area and said he does not want to see “forever wild” land turned over to cell towers.

“One of the things I find most wonderful about the Adirondacks is my phone does not work most of the time,” he said, adding he is more worried about government surveillance of citizens’ activity on the internet.

Leaving aside the fact that it would be nice to be able make a call to AAA or 9/11 if the need was to arise. I spent the first 19 years of my life in the Adirondacks. I remember how widely loathed the APA was because they were outsiders telling park residents how to live. He just took his vote count among anyone who has ever lived in the Park to zero. This is a guy who lives in Hudson Falls and works in Glens Falls and Moreau is saying people upstate have to stay "forever wild" and can't have cell service because it's so wonderful for him not to have it when he's driving through.

UPDATE: I neglected to provide a link to the video of the debate.

In case you don't want to listen to the whole thing. At around 19:00, Matt is telling the farmers of the North Country what they should be producing on their farms. At around 27:00, he's telling the "exhibits" in the Adirondacks how lucky they are not to have broadband or cell reception. And BTW, they should stay "forever wild." Adirondackers love when a flatlander who has never lived within miles of the Park tells them how they should live. I've been gone for 40 years and that still pisses me off to hear it.