The Curse  Even in this year of political plenty, when there are
more candidates vying for more offices than ever before in the
history of New York City, no woman is running for mayor. No
woman was ever a serious possibility for this year's race, and
by all accounts no woman is poised to take it next time around.
The absence of women at the helm of this city is a 336-year-old
story. But in this election, it's remarkable because of the
circumstances: Term limits preclude a mayoral incumbent and have
fueled the belief that minorities and newcomers will have a
better shot than ever in dozens of races around the city. The
campaign-finance law has helped even the playing field. New
Yorkers just made history by electing their first woman U.S.
senator. And among the six or so men running, there's not a
prohibitively popular personality.  It's hard to argue that
these men have more going for them than any woman in the city.
Yet "New York, in so many ways a progressive city, is still a
very, very traditional place,"