She came into the living room, and the man then introduced her as his wife, adding, "She doesn't know anything about polities, so I'm the one you'll want to talk to."

"Fine," I said, giving him the usual spiel.

"See, Martha, they want our opinions for a straw poll, He then turned to me and asked, "Are you working for one of the candidates or for a newspaper?"

"Well actually, sir, we're canvassing for Mayor Lindsay."

"Oh, that man. I voted for him the last time, but he's just disappointed everyone."

"Well, perhaps you could tell us just what it is about the past administration that you've objected to."

What haven't I objected, to? I know he's basically well-intentioned, but I've seen this city get worse in the last five years."

I tried to steer his conversation toward Lindsay's positions on welfare and federal taxation, but he was intent on discussing crime in the city, and the garbage in the streets.

"You know, this neighborhood didn't always look like this," he said. "Look at the street out front. It's filthy. They don't even bother to clean it up anymore. You don't see trash thrown out windows around Lincoln Center, do you?"

"No, sir."

"You're right you don't, people just don't seem to have any respect for anything any more."

"I know sir, but perhaps that's because of a general decline in values, rather than the Mayor's fault. Maybe the impersonality of a large city makes it impossible to generate these positive feelings."

"That's just the point. Why don't people care? Because he isn't strong enough to instill these qualities in them, that's why. People don't seem to care anymore, and the Mayor can't seem to make any difference."

"What would you propose that he do?"

"Propose? We don't live that way. My wife and I have always had respect for law and order and decency. The Mayor has wavered so many times that no one's going to respect any of his laws."