The Week

■ On Monday, a reporter asks a knowing New Yorker why Norman Mailer’s running, and gets the answer that he wants material for a new book. On Tuesday, Mailer hotly denies he has any intention of writing a book about his campaign. On Wednesday, a publisher reports casually at lunch that a week earlier he had a telephone call from Mailer’s agent, asking for a bid on Mailer’s mayoralty campaign book. Mailer’s campaign slogan is NO MORE BULL .

■ For those who do not understand politics, here is the explanation of the victory of Barry Goldwater Jr. in his race for Congress. 1) His father is such an inept and hopeless dinosaur he couldn’t sweep dust onto his coattails. 2) Junior is so inept he couldn’t possibly have won except that he is the son of such a marvelous politician.

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■ On Monday, a reporter asks a knowing New Yorker why Norman Mailer’s running, and gets the answer that he wants material for a new book. On Tuesday, Mailer hotly denies he has any intention of writing a book about his campaign. On Wednesday, a publisher reports casually at lunch that a week earlier he had a telephone call from Mailer’s agent, asking for a bid on Mailer’s mayoralty campaign book. Mailer’s campaign slogan is NO MORE BULL .

■ For those who do not understand politics, here is the explanation of the victory of Barry Goldwater Jr. in his race for Congress. 1) His father is such an inept and hopeless dinosaur he couldn’t sweep dust onto his coattails. 2) Junior is so inept he couldn’t possibly have won except that he is the son of such a marvelous politician.