Mud wars

Ted O’Brien.

Election-Day being only a few days away, the mud-wars will soon end.
We get bombast every year, but this year I seem to be in the middle of a ding-dong donnybrook, a contest for the state senate seat of incumbent Ted O’Brien, a Democrat (Gasp!).
His challenger is Rich Funke (“funk-eee”), a handsome one-time local TV-news anchor.
Mr. O’Brien, by contrast, is sort of a chump. He has a receding chin, and compared to Funke is not handsome.

Rich Funke.

REPUBLICANS seem to think this election is serious. Like if O’Brien is re-elected all Hell will break loose. That the current balance of power will continue and Democrats will raise taxes, publicly fund election-campaigns, etc.
Funke, of course, promises to clean up Albany, and get western New York’s fair share.
Uh yeah, why do we always hear this? NY politics is driven by New York City, and always will be. Western NY representatives sit idly by while New York City determines things.
As if Funke is gonna change that.
Like HELLO; if Funke gets elected he’ll set up in Albany, and probably flood us with self-congratulatory press-releases, paid for by us.
Like what a grand job he’s doing fighting New York City politicos by making speeches.
According to the polls, Funke has an immense lead.
Name recognition.
Yet O’Brien seems to be winning the mud-wars. Funke is accused of sexism, and has said things that make him an easy target.
The election is also about the SAFE-Act, an act, post school-shooting, that makes private gun ownership difficult.
Funke is perceived as pro-gun, whereas O’Brien voted for the SAFE-Act.
The SAFE-Act has become a litmus-test for western New Yorkers. Middle America versus city-dwellers. Gun-toting rural folk against those against gun-violence.
I’ve even seen efforts to get western New York to secede.
Thankfully, this all will end in a few days.
Cuomo will get re-elected, and probably Funke, who will then set up in Albany to collect his pay.
The mud-slinging is fun to watch, but I’m tired of all the fliers stuffing my mailbox, and the noisy vitriol on my TV.

• The “SAFE-Act” (The New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013) was passed shortly after the school-shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. It severely limits private gun-ownership. It limits ammunition to 10 rounds per magazine, and requires registration of so-called assault-weapons. It also requires background-checks to buy ammunition, and dealers are required to report all ammunition purchases. There are a slew of other requirements that limit gun-usage. Opponents insist the SAFE-Act reverses the Second-Amendment right to bear arms.
• “Cuomo” is Andrew Cuomo, current governor of New York. It could be said the SAFE-Act was his doing. He’s running for re-election too. The gun-lobby wants to throw him out.