Post- vote notes

By Mark Frost, Chronicle Editor

I take elections at face value. I assume the voters did what they wanted to do. I don’t think they’re stupid. I don’t think they’re misled. I try to understand their thinking, whether or not they voted the way I hoped they would. (In this case, I agreed with many of the results.)

Anyway, some thoughts.

1. Republican Elise Stefanik not only won, she won respect. In becoming the youngest woman elected to Congress, at age 30, even some foes tip a hat to her. “For all of the money that Karl Rove spent to help,” Warren County Democratic chair Lynne Boecher told our Gordon Woodworth, “I congratulate Elise for not sitting on that. She went to every barbecue and event. She worked hard.”

High praise from an adversary.

I’m impressed by Elise, too — by how methodical and thorough she was, by her willingness to challenge an incumbent Congressman (Democrat Bill Owens opted subsequently not to seek re-election), by her ambitiousness and intelligence.

I’ve had two interactions with her and both times came away thinking, she’s real and she’s classy.

A friend of mine who’s retired after spending much of his career in the Washington, D.C., political world — and who still follows it closely — tells me that the Republican hierarchy is likely to have big things in store for Ms. Stefanik. “They’re desperate for women in leadership positions,” he said. When my friend added, “unless she’s ditzy,” I was very quick to tell him that Harvard-educated Elise is definitely not ditzy.

Assuming she keeps coming back to this vast district, shows up everywhere, gets to know more people first-hand, delivers constituent service and answers to local elected officials and community leaders whatever their party, I think she’ll be very difficult to dislodge, especially if she gets through the next election, when the presidential race is thought to drive turnout of the Democrats’ core constituencies.

•

That brings us to my friend Matt Funiciello.

Running as the Green candidate, Matt made his mark in the Congressional race. He outpolled the Democrat Aaron Woolf in Glens Falls and Queensbury, and he exceeded 10 percent of the vote overall.

And he did it exactly his own way, not kowtowing in any way to Democrats or Republicans, both of which he regards with contempt. He was witty, he was quick and he stayed always on the offensive.

That said, I think it’s going to be hard to take Matt’s political aspirations to a higher level, assuming that his goal is to be elected — which may not be his goal at all.

Matt has already declared his candidacy for two years from now, and with his typical bravado, he told our Gordon that he’s calling on the Democrats to leave their ballot line blank in 2016 so he’ll have a clear solo shot at bringing the progressive agenda to fruition.

Obviously the Democrats won’t buy that scenario. Matt is just rattling their chain.

If he were serious about winning, he might actually seek to line up support in the Democratic hierarchy. Matt as the Democratic and Green Party candidate is at a whole other level than Matt as Green Party candidate.

But that’s not Matt’s game. He’s not yielding, he’s not backing off, he’s doubling down. Moderating a position to encompass people who might not already agree with him is anathema to him.

I don’t think there are nearly enough voters in the 21st District on Matt’s ideological wavelength. In fact, one of the things I like best about northern New Yorkers is that most people here are not ideological at all.

I like Matt’s willingness to swim upstream — and who knows?, I read that a half-century ago George McGovern pretty much single-handedly turned South Dakota from Republican to Democrat. I never underestimate what one principled, determined person can accomplish.

That said, it’s tough to make your own wave.

•

As for the Democrats, I assume by now they’ve already placed their usual help wanted ad in the downstate media: “Liberal New York City millionaire sought to run for upstate New York Congressional seat. Must register to vote in district more than five days prior to deadline.”

Hey, I’m joking, I’m joking.

I do think the Democrats did damage to their brand in this election. Aaron Woolf may be a perfectly fine guy, but his candidacy was a wet noodle.

I realize the Democrats had very little time to find a standard-bearer after Bill Owens’s surprising retirement. This time they’ll be able to plan ahead.

Surely there are candidates who actually are rooted in the district. I mean, I think about Democrats like Larry Bulman, John Strough, Jack Diamond. Moreau Supervisor Preston Jenkins made one of the most persuasive cases I ever heard for why liberal government programs that help the needy are a good thing. He told me it’s the reason he was able to get an education and succeed.

Again, the best Democratic hope is that their Presidential candidate galvanizes their constituencies as Barack Obama twice did. Still: Ousting Elise? It’ll be a long shot.

•

Tony Jordan, smartest guy in the room. Redistricted, he quit the Assembly; ran, won and is happily settled as Washington Country District Attorney. Savvy.

Copyright © 2014 Lone Oak Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.