Tradition and Changes Mix in Big Apple Vote

NEW YORK--At a victory party for New York City's first-ever Black mayor, the politics of tradition mingled with the spirit of changing times.

With what some are calling the city's highest-ever turnout of Black voters, Mayor-elect David N. Dinkins accepted his win to the cheers of a uniquely diverse audience--racially and ethnically. Tailoring a speech to their likes proved difficult, however, as Dinkins struggled between the rhetoric of his grassroots following and the party establishment.

At first, the 30-minute Dinkins speech recalled the history of American slavery. "Tonight we forge a new link in that chain as [a Black man attains] the highest office of the greatest city in the world," he said.

The mostly Black crowd roared with approval, changing its chant from the traditional "Dinkins, Dinkins" to a more familiar "David, David."

But the cascading assortment of red, white and blue balloons and a 1940s-style band playing "New York, New York," revealed another side to Dinkins' campaign, and the candidate promptly switched gears to more traditional rhetoric.

He laced his speech with references to traditional Democratic Party powerhouses, tying his ground-breaking campaign firmly to the Democratic establishment. He thanked New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 and current Mayor Edward I. Koch--three men he said helped greatly in the campaign.

The crowd became restless as Dinkins asked the group to bear with him while he ran through his list of "thank-you's". Recalling the words of former President John F. Kennedy '40, Dinkins told his constituents, "I will ask each of you what you can give to the city."

But the Manhattan Borough president did not disappoint his backers. Running through his list of personal, national and local gratitude, he stopped to mention "that man of towering talent who touched the face of history--the Rev. Jesse Jackson."

The crowd seemed to forgive his earlier digression, rising to louder applause than the candidate himself received.