Outer circles - New York, New York conservative mayoral candidate George Marlin

National Review, July 5, 1993 by Richard Brookhiser

This time around, Giuliani is running another divinity campaign, with a few stabs at concreteness. Whenever he comes down to earth, however, he has a way of landing in Manhattan. He has backed laws that would penalize "bias" crimes, and laws that would recognize the gay partnerships of city employees. The Conservative Party, having witnessed the Bush Administration, did not want to see it reborn in Gotham. Roy Innis, who remains a candidate in the Democratic primary, can't convincingly prove that he lives in Brooklyn instead of the suburbs. Enter Marlin.

Marlin has no chance of winning. But even a rock-bottom Conservative showing of 4 to 5 per cent would be larger than the spread in the last election. Marlin's presence in the campaign could force Giuliani to say exactly how liberal he is.

The more important goal, beyond stopping Giuliani, is to present an alternative. "People want leaders," says Marlin. Veterans of the school-board fight "realize the need to keep this thing going. I want to take it to the steps of City Hall."

Mr. Brookhiser, an NR senior editor, is a columnist for the New York Observer.