New York: A Trumanesque Comeback

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Linoleum. Perhaps the biggest factor working for Lindsay is Procaccino's failure to rally either the Democrats or the independents. The most conservative of five primary candidates, he won the Democratic nomination with only a third of the vote, and has had difficulty expanding that base. Many prominent Democrats are actively supporting Lindsay. In the News poll, Lindsay captured a bigger slice of the Democrats, 44%, than Procaccino, who got 37%. Procaccino's personality also worked against him. The contrast between Lindsay's Ivy League polish and Procaccino's almost deliberate coarseness began to chafe in a city that has a certain affection for sophistication. One joke making the rounds of parties has Procaccino so confident of victory that he has already ordered the linoleum for the floors of Gracie Mansion, the mayor's elegant residence.

The race, however, is not over yet. Lindsay headquarters is worried that the News poll will encourage Marchi backers to desert a lost cause and swing heavily to Procaccino. Further, Lindsay's strong showing among Negroes in the sampling may not be translated proportionately into ballots next week because of intensive efforts by black radicals to effect a Negro boycott of all three candidates. But in the campaign's last days, it is the challenger, not the mayor, who must struggle to catch up.