Why was Huey Long a political threat to President Roosevelt?

Answer 1

Huey Long (Louisiana governor then US senator in November 1932) had the same popular support as FDR, mainly from people badly affected by the Great Depression. Roosevelt, elected President in the same election, could not immediately make headway against the economic downturn, and Long criticized early federal actions as too conservative. Long proposed several programs that would directly subsidize the working class and provide new employment. These populist ideas were attractive to many poor and middle class voters who blamed wealthy businessmen and financiers for the failure of the US economy.

Long possibly planned to challenge Roosevelt for the Democratic Party nomination in 1936, with an eye on a third-party formation as well (Share Our Wealth party). This could cause Roosevelt to lose, and Long would emerge as the Democratic nominee in 1940. But this did not occur because Long was assassinated in September, 1935.

Answer 2

Roosevelt and his aides worried that Long would run as a third-party candidate in 1936 and pull as many as six million votes- throwing the election into the House of Representatives.

Answer 3

trying to take his job.