The Rising Star from Queens

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Senator Alfonse D'Amato in 1986. If she made the ticket and the Democrats lost, Ferraro would be out of office. She does not see that as a long-term political handicap. Says she: "You run, give it your best shot, and if you lose you beat up on your opponent for two years and then run again."

That cold-eyed view of the future makes some of Ferraro's colleagues uncomfortable. "She has a tendency to be involved in everything," says a Demo ratic Congressman. "I'm a little backed off by her multiple ambitions." There is also concern over her untroubled rise in the House. "Because she's the darling of the leadership, we've handed her every prize in the book," says one Democratic member. "She hasn't been tested here."

Despite these misgivings, the people who know Ferraro would not lose any sleep if she were next in line for the presidency. "She is extremely competent," says Louisiana's Gillis Long, chairman of the House Democratic caucus. "She's a good word." And politician how in does the best Ferraro sense feel of about the the prospect? "I'm in awe," says Ferraro.

With aplomb, she quickly adds, "But not to the point of feeling I couldn't do the job. —By Alessandra Stanley. Reported by John F. Stacks/New York