Election '84: A Credible Candidacy And Then Some

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Nor did Ferraro have a long set of "apron strings," as the female equivalent of coattails has been condescendingly dubbed. Many women leaders now acknowledge that those who thought a breakthrough candidacy would lead to huge gains among female officeholders were hoping for too much. Says Kathy Wilson, head of the National Women's Political Caucus: "It's hard to unseat an incumbent at any price and any gender." Still, Ferraro's high visibility helped carry some women's issues closer to the political mainstream, including increases in the federal funding of day-care facilities and reforms eliminating sexual discrimination in pension benefits. Another part of her legacy may be the increased participation of women in the upper echelons of the Democratic Party.

Precisely where the campaign carried Ferraro is already a matter of intense speculation. Few doubt that the Democratic vice-presidential nominee won the right to continue speaking in the months ahead for her party on a national level. New York Democrats take it as an article of faith that in 1986 she will run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican Alfonse D'Amato. "This state is dying to elect a woman Senator, and she becomes the logical candidate," says one party insider. "Her recognition factor is 100%."

In an ironic way, Ferraro, who became a historic symbol of how high a woman can aspire in politics, may be limited by the legal problems of her husband. These problems might never have arisen if the spotlight attracted by her candidacy had not also come glaring down on his business. As a result, Zaccaro's real estate income has dropped ("Who wants to be partners with somebody knowing the deal's going to be all over the papers?" Ferraro asks). She is considering writing a book about her unique campaign experience. Such a work could prove both illuminating and profitable. She can expect to command large fees for speeches (perhaps $10,000, an aide estimates). She may join a high-paying law firm. But if her husband were to be indicted, concedes one close aide, "it would be a heavy blow to her career. If he were convicted, it could well be fatal."

Geraldine Ferraro ably met the public challenge posed by her historic selection. She has almost certainly altered forever the role women will play in the U.S. political system. But the personal travail caused by her choice may not be over. —By William R. Doemer. Reported by David Beckwith with Ferraro