Principles and Heresies

The more one ex-amines the portents of the June primary in New York City, the more significant they become. The most dramatic aspect, of course, is the repudiation of the goldenhaired hero of liberal Republicanism by the Republican electorate. John Marchi’s defeat of the eidolon of liberalism in the most liberal city in the United States should, whatever the outcome of the general election in November, write finis to Lindsay’s rarefied ambitions for high political office. Repudiated by his own party in his own political base, conducting a campaign against the nominee of his own party, endorsing Democratic candidates against other nominees of his own party, Lindsay is most unlikely, even in these loose times, ever to receive that party’s nomination for higher office.

Important as is the reduction of John Lindsay, however, the portents of the New York primary are much more far-reaching. The Democratic primary also has to be taken into account. Here by far the most conservative of the candidates, a candidate emphasizing above all law and order—Mario Procaccino— was the victor. But, as Joseph Alsop alone among commentators has realized, Robert Wagner’s vote too—the second candidate—was “at least 90 per cent anti-Lindsay and antiliberal.” Take the Marchi vote, the Procaccino vote, 90 per cent of the Wagner vote; put it up against the vote for all the liberal candidates, Republican and Democratic; and, as Mr. Alsop writes, “you have a proportion of close to six-to-four, with the six on the antiliberal side of the balance.”

FS

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Frank S. Meyer

Frank S. Meyer was a senior editor of National Review.

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The more one ex-amines the portents of the June primary in New York City, the more significant they become. The most dramatic aspect, of course, is the repudiation of the goldenhaired hero of liberal Republicanism by the Republican electorate. John Marchi’s defeat of the eidolon of liberalism in the most liberal city in the United States should, whatever the outcome of the general election in November, write finis to Lindsay’s rarefied ambitions for high political office. Repudiated by his own party in his own political base, conducting a campaign against the nominee of his own party, endorsing Democratic candidates against other nominees of his own party, Lindsay is most unlikely, even in these loose times, ever to receive that party’s nomination for higher office.

Important as is the reduction of John Lindsay, however, the portents of the New York primary are much more far-reaching. The Democratic primary also has to be taken into account. Here by far the most conservative of the candidates, a candidate emphasizing above all law and order—Mario Procaccino— was the victor. But, as Joseph Alsop alone among commentators has realized, Robert Wagner’s vote too—the second candidate—was “at least 90 per cent anti-Lindsay and antiliberal.” Take the Marchi vote, the Procaccino vote, 90 per cent of the Wagner vote; put it up against the vote for all the liberal candidates, Republican and Democratic; and, as Mr. Alsop writes, “you have a proportion of close to six-to-four, with the six on the antiliberal side of the balance.”