EW YORK - It must have been the thousandth time someone asked her the question - will she or won't she run for the US Senate? But this time, Hillary Rodham Clinton gave the jackpot reply: ''Yes.''
Sort of.
The first lady added the caveat that she will make ''a formal announcement after the first of the year,'' but it was the first time she has stated her intentions with so little ambiguity.
Her answer stirred her audience - a roomful of public school teachers in Midtown Manhattan - to a standing ovation that lasted well over a minute.
The declaration could also - and was certainly intended to - put some juice back into a campaign that has faltered so badly that some Democrats were wondering if Clinton might drop out of the race, and at least one was encouraging her to do just that.
Clinton was speaking about more federal aid for smaller classrooms to members of the 78,000-strong local teachers union. At the end of the speech, Randi Weingarten, the union's president, said, ''We need someone to push these programs. ... So, is it yes, or is it no?''
To nervous laughter, the first lady smiled, rose, and said, ''I've been in 35 counties all over this state. ... I believe that if we work together, we really can make a difference. So, the answer is yes. I intend to run.''
She also said later, to questions from reporters, that she will hire a campaign manager ''in the next couple weeks,'' and move into her newly purchased house in Westchester County ''as soon as the Secret Service says it's ready.'' After then, she will spend time in Washington only ''from time to time.''
Reporters had been alerted ahead of time that Clinton would give the long-anticipated answer if someone popped the question.
When asked if her timing was dictated by the missteps that have marred her campaign lately, she replied, ''I don't believe so. It's time for me to answer a direct question. ... It's time to get moving, get started.''
Yet many Democrats, most of whom support her candidacy, have been disheartened by a series of incidents.
The gravest took place on her trip to the Middle East two weeks ago, when, at a public forum, Yasser Arafat's wife accused Israel of firing ''poison gas'' on Palestinians, as Clinton sat and listened to a translation through headphones. The first lady said nothing in response, kissed her hostess on both cheeks when she left, and waited until the next day before issuing a statement condemning Arafat's remarks.
Back home, the response was outrage, especially from Jews, who form a crucial constituency for anyone running for office from New York.
Two prominent New York rabbis, who spoke on condition that they not be named, said yesterday they have been surprised by the antipathy that the first lady now inspires among the hundreds of Jews with whom they have spoken.
''These are people who were very enthusiastic about her in the beginning, very supportive of the causes she supports,'' one of the rabbis said. ''Now I'd say 70 percent of them are turned off.''
Another rabbi said much the same: ''I'm talking about liberal Jews who have voted Democratic all their lives. These are people who are certainly devoted to Israel, but not fanatically. Now just about all of them say they cannot imagine voting for her.''
A Democratic political consultant, who also asked not to be named, called the Arafat incident ''fatal,'' saying, ''It's not just about Jews. It raises questions about whether she'll stand up for what she believes in, and about what it is she believes in.''
Clinton tried to lay these questions to rest yesterday. Aides handed out quotations from several New York Jewish politicians, including Senator Charles Schumer and former Mayor Edward Koch, praising her strong support for Israel.
Koch also cited the remark over the weekend from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, calling the first lady's visit ''highly successful'' and saying of both Clintons, ''I wish that we Israelis will always have such true friends in the White House.''
Mrs. Clinton added, during a question and answer period, ''I hear there are those in New York who wish I'd created some international incident'' over Arafat's remarks. ''That would not be useful for the peace process.'' She emphasized she was there in her capacity as first lady, and had no business ''scoring political points.''
However, she did acknowledge problems, saying she planned to meet with more people, including Jews, so they could hear for themselves where she stands.
Jews compose just 12 percent of the state's electorate, but they play a decisive role in New York politics. The rule of thumb is that a Democrat must win 65 to 75 percent of the Jewish vote to win a statewide contest.
According to the latest poll by John Zogby, Clinton leads her likely opponent, New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, just 48 percent to 42 percent among Jews.
''For a Republican to get 40 percent of the Jewish vote, it's very difficult for him to lose,'' Zogby said.
The three times Republican Alfonse D'Amato was elected senator, he won 40 percent of the Jewish vote. Last year, when he lost to Schumer, he attracted 20 percent.
Statewide, in the Zogby poll, Giuliani leads Clinton 50-43, with a 3.3 percentage point margin of error.
