What hurt Al Smith the most in the election of 1928?

Answer 1

Roosevelt understood the power of the media early on and used it effectively to convey his message to the people. He was the first to extensively use radio and he appealed to the voters who were mired in the poverty caused by the depression.He understood the power of the media early on and used it effectively to convey his message to the people.

The 1932 election coverage was mostly favorable to both candidates. It focused on the substance of the candidates’ position on the economy. The reporters were very respectful of the candidates and addressed them as either Mr. or by the title of their position, i.e. President Hoover, or Governor Roosevelt. The reporter’s opinion was left for the editorial page. They reported what the candidates said and let the reader form their own conclusion. For the most part, the reporters avoided framing the news or agenda setting. Reporters relied heavily on quotes from the candidates to write their stories. Using quotes gave the readers a sense thatthey were reading an accurate account of what had transpired. Most of the newspaper stories used at least one quote in each paragraph.

Compared to today’s reporting, the 1932 coverage was balanced and accurate. However, there were some inaccuracies in their reporting that mostly favored the challenger. The reporters failed to accurately address Governor Roosevelt’s physical condition. They did not write about his crippling polio disease, and seemed to exaggerate his physical strength, when in fact, he was barley able to walk unassisted. The

New York Timeswas often guilty of exaggeration about the Roosevelt’s strength. In the July 8, 1932

New York Timesarticle, the paper reported about Roosevelt’s nomination and one paragraph described what happened when then Governor Roosevelt went to the podium to accept his nomination: “as Mr. Roosevelt advanced to the rostrum, the great hall seemed to surge upward, an illusion which accompanied the sight of so many thousands rising simultaneously to their feet.” Add to this that it is alleged that a powerful newspaper publisher, William Hearst, had helped him gain the nomination, and it would appear that Roosevelt got cut a little slack.

FDR received some good coverage because he was very friendly with the reporters. It seems most of the reporterswere taken by his charm. Franklin Roosevelt was the first President to have a fully furnished press train car installed on his campaign train. He also granted the press full

accessto his campaign. The fact that Roosevelt received good coverage does not mean that President Hoover campaign received bad coverage. To the contrary, the Hoover campaign also received mostly good coverage. However, the country’s economic situation made it harder to write positive stories about an incumbent President who did not seem to offer anything new to revive the economy. Moreover, Hoover’s personality was perceived as not being very friendly and did not lend itself to good coverage.

Answer 2

Smith was a Roman-Catholic. He also took a stand against prohibition. He was part of the political machine that ran New York. This combination did not play well in The Bible Belt or the mid-west farm country.

Also, times were good. The economy was booming and President Coolidge had cleaned up the scandal from Harding's administration and was an honest and competent administrator. There was no good reason to change Presidents.

Answer 3

Al Smith had problems getting elected because:

• He opposed Prohibition and was rumored to like to take a drink himself
• He was a Roman Catholic
• He had connections with the corrupt Tammany Hall political machine in New York City
• He was perceived to favor socialistic well-fare programs and the taxes needed to pay for them.

Answer 4

He was Catholic and had a very strong accent, and the American people had a high sense of nativism during the early 1900's. Therefore, it led to people not wanting to vote for him.

Answer 5

One reason Alfred E. Smith was not elected was that he only got 13 votes in the election with Lafayette and Davis.

Answer 6

He was Catholic.

New York was his home state.

He was a dry (in favor of prohibition).

His family was from Ireland.

Answer 7

He was the Governor of the State of New York.

A total of twelve U.S. presidential nominees had served as Governor of New York!

Answer 8

Al Smith was governor of New York, serving his fourth term in that position.

Answer 9

His views on Prohibition

Answer 10

The economy was going full blast under the Republicans. Smth's negatives cost him Tennessee and Virginia and a few other southern states, but there was no way he was going to win. (My grandfather worked worked for Smith in Louisiana, the only place in the south where being an RC was an asset...)