Oct 16, 2014 — Last night's debate held in the town of Peru, just south of Plattsburgh, N.Y., highlighted the huge role Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello is playing in this year's North Country congressional race.

The baker and small-business owner from Glens Falls has often filled a void in the election, offering big, substantive ideas, with plenty of specific details, while the major party candidates scrap, punch, and repeat talking points.

Funiciello steps forward

During the hour broadcast on WPTZ television, Democrat Aaron Woolf and Republican Elise Stefanik were often preoccupied with personal attacks, with Stefanik describing the Democrat's campaign as "fledgling" and Woolf blasting the Republican for "petty, personal stuff."

It wasn't pretty. With the Democrat and Republican snarling at each other, Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello gleefully filled the void, talking again and again about substance, about what he views as game-changing policies. "Single-payer healthcare, $15 living wage, ending corporate welfare, green jobs," he said. "These are things that exist everywhere else in the world. We can do them here too. We just have to have the vision and the courage to actually make this happen."

Throughout this race Funiciello has spent much of his time explaining what he views as the shortcomings of the modern Democratic Party, which he sees as too timid, too conservative.

Elise Stefanik, the Republican, clearly loves Funiciello's role in the race. One poll showed him stripping as many as one out of six Democrats away from Woolf. Stefanik egged on Funiciello last night, "Can you please explain to the viewers this evening why you think Aaron Woolf should drop out of this race?" she asked.

Funiciello is making a bid for those voters who would most often pull the lever for Democrats, but he also jabs at Republican ideas. Last night, when Stefanik blamed Barack Obama for the turmoil in Iraq and Syria, Funiciello fired back. "I'm not going to blame Barack Obama for the situation with ISIS," he said, adding, "That's patently ridiculous."

Funiciello is also arguing that Stefanik and Woolf both have resumes that make them less well suited to represent the North Country. In part, because neither lived here full-time until last year, but Funiciello has spent much of his life working and building a business in Glens Falls. Funiciello also raised questions about the major party candidates' wealth. "I don't believe people of means are bad people," he said. "What I do believe is that we already have enough of them in congress. Everyone in congress is a millionaire or better. It's time to have workers at the table."

Woolf struggles to win back Green-tilting Democrats

There was even-handed punching from the Green candidate, but again and again, Funiciello's blows fall most heavily on the Democrat. "If you elect Aaron, he's not going to do any of the things he's saying. He's just going to be a hired vote," he warned.

Aaron Woolf has struggled to find a message to counter Funiciello. In the first debate and again last night, he found himself agreeing over and over with the Green candidate's ideas. "I think Matt Funiciello makes excellent points," he acknowledged. Woolf's core argument against Funiciello is that he's unlikely to win and if he does win, he's unlikely to be effective in Washington. "I think he makes important points that are important goals, but the fact is that we have to make incremental steps."

The latest poll showed Matt Funiciello in single-digits at 8 percent. He has also talked about issues that may disqualify him among many voters, including theories that the 9/11 terror attacks were covered up by the United States government and his argument that Watertown should begin preparing for a future without the Fort Drum Army base.

These points make a victory for the Green candidate nearly impossible. But as last night's debate showed, the 8 percent poll number doesn't begin to measure his impact on this race, in bringing up big ideas and making life hell for Aaron Woolf.

Is Funiciello just a protest vote? Or a spoiler?

Funiciello is still asking voters to consider him as a serious candidate, not just a protest vote. He appealed several times last night for people in the North Country to think differently this November. "You usually vote Democrat or Republican. Why are you doing that? We been doing this my entire lifetime. How's that working for us? What's the legislation you actually like? Can you name a single piece of it?"

Last night's debate made crystal clear how difficult the road will be for the Democrats over the next two weeks before the election. Aaron Woolf is fighting to counter a strong, disciplined campaign run by Republican Elise Stefanik, but he's also struggling to find messages and arguments that will win back some of those Democrats who want a more liberal, more progressive candidate.

 

Watch the full debate video at WPTZ