New York: Costly Confusion

Faced with a surplus of competitors and a hazily divided electorate, New York's gubernatorial candidates turned last week to eye-gouging personal attacks. Republican Governor Nelson Rockefeller started the year at an all-time popularity low that gave him scant hope of winning a third term. Throughout a hard, costly campaign, he has narrowed the gap and, toward campaign's end, was hammering at Democrat Frank O'Connor's "demagogy," lack of courage, foresight and "size.'" New York City Council President O'Connor, who is conspicuously short of personal dynamism, effective organization and cash, accused Rockefeller of a "shabby attempt to mislead the people" and exhumed a four-year-old scandal in the state administration. Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr., a Democrat running on the Liberal Party ticket, was dismissed by O'Connor as a "failure at every job he ever held." Roosevelt merrily belabored both major contestants, while Conservative Paul Adams sniped from the right at the three liberals.

All of this left confusion as the only constant, even among the professional seers. An NBC poll by Oliver Quayle showed a pronounced trend for Rockefeller, while a New York Daily News canvass found O'Connor improving on a slight 3.6% lead. An ABC poll by John Kraft reported a near deadlock with O'Connor 2% ahead and the undecided still at 13%. All three indicated the minor-party candidates could get about 20% of the vote between them. Thus, it was not even certain that the winner would have a majority mandate.