Koch: 'How am I doing?'

Mayor Edward Koch's questions can be as direct as his answers. His favorite is ''How am I doing?''

''I don't know,'' said a woman at a Utica shopping mall, where the Koch campaign stopped for some hand-shaking. ''I don't live down in New York City.''

''I need your help,'' Koch implored. ''There's going to be a Democratic primary, and I want your vote.''

The woman didn't reply.

''You'll give me some consideration?'' Koch pressed on rhetorically.

''I won't promise to vote for you.''

''You'll give me some consideration?''

''Yeah, but I won't promise to vote for you.''

''But you'll give me some consideration?'' Koch asked the third time.

''Of course,'' the woman said finally.

''That's all I ask,'' Koch replied with a broad smile before starting all over again with his ''How am I doing?''