The American Presidential Election of 1936

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The 37th episode in a very long series about the American presidential elections from 1788 to the present. In 1936, the Great Depression drags on, but the New Deal is extremely popular. The polls say it will be a close race, but the polls are not scientific, as it turns out.

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The 38th Presidential election in American history took place on November 3, 1936. Almost four years earlier, Franklin Roosevelt went straight to work, causing the federal government to become more involved with the economy than ever before. This was at a low point of the Great Depression, and Americans were desperate for any kind of positive news. They wanted the President to do something- anything, to try to help the economy, and Roosevelt, or FDR as we will call him from now on, gave executive orders and signed laws that were all meant to provide what historians call “The Three Rs.”
Relief for the unemployed and poor,
Recovery for the economy,
and Reform of the financial system so that a depression like this never happened again

These laws and programs became famously known as The New Deal, and they are the reason why today we have things like social security, unemployment benefits, an 8-hour work day, a federal minimum wage, the FDIC and the SEC.

FDR’s New Deal was the federal government micromanaging at an unprecedented level, and in normal conditions, it probably wouldn’t fly. But like I said, the people demanded action, and FDR delivered. While most Americans supported him, some did not, and the New Deal did not end the Depression. Some even argued it made it just prolonged it.

Just before the election, the Great Depression had entered its 8th year. FDR wanted four more years to more aggressively push more New Deal programs. The New Deal had become very popular with the Democratic Party, and he was renominated with little opposition. Vice President John Nance Garner was once again his running mate.

My home state of Kansas dominated the Republican Party this election. While the party had many potential presidential nominees, only two stood out- Alf Landon, the former millionaire oilman and Governor of Kansas, and William Borah, a Senator from Idaho who had went to the University of Kansas. The party’s establishment went with Landon, who actually supported many New Deal policies, yet had a strong reputation for being fiscally conservative and reducing taxes in Kansas. The Republicans nominated newspaper publisher Frank Knox as his running mate.

Louisiana Senator Huey Long, aka The Kingfish, had planned to run for President in 1936, but he was assassinated the year before, a month after he announced he was running actually. Like his friend Father Coughlin, a Roman Catholic priest who was a big radio star, Long had originally supported FDR in 1932, but later criticized him, saying he wasn’t doing enough to help the poor. Long actually promoted the controversial Share Our Wealth program, which called for a massive redistribution of money from the super rich to everyone else.

After Long died, Coughlin pressed forward with the movement, which eventually turned into a new political party, called the Union Party. According to some historians, Coughlin and Long never wanted to win the 1936 election- they just wanted to split the progressive vote to cause FDR to lose. Regardless of whether or not this was true, the newly formed Union Party nominated William Lemke, a U.S. Representative from North Dakota who lacked charisma and a chance at winning this election. Thomas O’Brien, a lawyer from Boston, was his running mate.

Some political pundits predicted a close election, but the New Deal was very popular with many Americans, and with the Depression still dragging on many still kept their faith in it. Alf Landon was considered no match for FDR. Plus, he sucked at campaigning. Well actually, he didn’t campaign. A columnist joked, "Considerable mystery surrounds the disappearance of Alfred M. Landon of Topeka, Kansas.... The Missing Persons Bureau has sent out an alarm bulletin bearing Mr. Landon's photograph and other particulars, and anyone having information of his whereabouts is asked to communicate direct with the Republican National Committee."

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Fun fact:Landon lived all the way to 1987 he actually met the Reagan's at his home in Topeka on his 100th birthday.

flynnflake

Fun fact, Landon is the only major party candidate from either party to live to 100

morgankingsley

Fun fact: 1937 was the first year in American history in which inauguration day was held on January 20th instead of March 4th

rockstarsharma

Alf Landon was asked after he retired what he thought of FDR, and replied, " I didn't agree with many of his policies, but that man saved our society".

h

Huey Long is the most drastic “what-if” scenario in 20th Century American History.

MortalWombat

the 8 people who disliked were the 8 electoral college votes for Landon.

deosyx

*The 46 States: Let's vote for Roosevelt! His New Deal will save us all from the Depression!*

*Vermont and Maine: We are about to do what is called a pro gamer move*

walker

Fun fact: This was the election with the highest amount of democratic seats in American History. 334 House seats and 74 senate seats.

MeadowDaw

Alf Landon didn't campaign.
What a brilliant strategy! Don't Campaign at all.

ktsgamma

Huey Long would've given Roosevelt hell in the 1936 election. Not saying he would win, but he would have gotten a large chunk of the Southern vote who voted Democrat back then.

elwin

It is insane that FDR won Mississippi with 97% of the vote there.

zackcarman

FDR did a lot of the things that Teddy Roosevelt wanted to accomplish 30 years prior (social security, 8 hour work days, etc). I wonder if the US could have avoided the great depression if Roosevelt could have accomplished everything he wanted to do....

survivor

I always find small reasons why Mr. Beat is my favorite YouTuber, for example, the way he said “oilman” like Daniel Plainview

spaghettibrad

"FDR wanted four more years to push for new deal programs"

Yeah, four years....

ayyybob

Significant parts of the New Deal were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, which is why in this term he wants to add a Supreme Court Justice for every justice over a certain age (70), which would raise the number of justices to as many as 15.

jackmessick