Al Smith

Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873–October 4, 1944), often known as Al Smith, was Governor of New York and a U.S. presidential candidate in 1928. He lost the election to Herbert Hoover.

The 1928 election

The Republican Party was riding high on the economic boom of the 1920s, which their presidential candidate Herbert Hoover vowed to continue. Hoover defeated Smith by a significant margin in the 1928 Election.

Related Topics:
1920s - Herbert Hoover - 1928 Election

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Part of Smith's especially poor showing can be attributed to anti-Catholic bias, anti-New York City bias, unprogressive forces who did not see the benefit of social harmony among the races and ethnic groups, and Smith's own bad campaigning. Smith's campaign theme song, "The Sidewalks of New York", was not likely to appeal to people in Missouri, although it was emblematic to those who saw the kind of society he hoped to build, and Smith's own brogue seemed foreign to many people. Some nativist newspapers outside major cities even publicly condemned him as an "alien" because of the foreign origin of his parents (both were immigrants from Ireland) and the large number of immigrants living in his state.

Related Topics:
Anti-Catholic bias - Missouri - Nativist - Ireland

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Smith felt slighted by Roosevelt during Roosevelt's governorship. They became rivals for the 1932 Democratic presidential nomination. When Roosevelt won and began pursuing the policies of the New Deal, Smith began to work against Roosevelt more. He became a leader of the American Liberty League, a leading opponent of the New Deal, and supported the Republican presidential candidates, Alfred M. Landon in the 1936 election and Wendell Willkie in the 1940 election. His son, Al Smith, Jr.. endorsed Republican Richard Nixon in 1960.

Related Topics:
1932 Democratic presidential nomination - New Deal - American Liberty League - Alfred M. Landon - The 1936 election - Wendell Willkie - The 1940 election - Al Smith, Jr. - Republican - Richard Nixon - 1960

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