Franklin D. Roosevelt was considered a worthy and attractive candidate for the 1932 election. The famous name connection also scored him some brownie points even though he was only a distant relative. Roosevelt was from a wealthy family who lived in New York. There he attended Groton school and went on to Harvard University. By 1910, he had won a seat in the New York state Senate. Three years later he became assistant secretary of the navy during the Wilson administration. His seven years of being involved in Washington gave him the experience he would need to be in office. FDR was considered the front-runner for the Democrats. He was said to be one of the most gifted men in politics. This was because he had the ability to identify the public's wants and needs. He was also quite resourceful. He used the radio as his main communication to the public.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933. Lietuvių: Frankl...
Governor Roosevelt poses with Al Smith for a publi...
The Four Freedoms engraved on a wall at the Frankl...What is amazing about all of this is that Roosevelt was able to do all of these things and still deal with the grief of having polio and never being able to walk again. His vibrant personality and courage showed people he was capable of becoming a powerful leader despite his impairment. His personality and campaigning skills really helped boost his popularity with the people. Roosevelt's campaign was strong. His manager used strategies and tactics in the campaign that worked well. He made sure to campaign in the Solid South where supports for the Democrats had been growing. Roosevelt recruited professors from Columbia University to help him with his speeches. In his speeches he talked of helping the country out of the depression. This was something the public wanted more than anything. In Chicago, Roosevelt talked of a new deal which gave optimism and hope to the people.
During the summer of 1932 an event occurred in Washington that would seal Hoover's defeat. This event was known as the "Bonus March." The Bonus March was a gathering of angry veterans who went to Washington, demanding money or cash bonuses for being in the war. When the government would not issue the cash, the soldiers protested. Hoover did nothing for them. In fact he simply ignored them. However, this tactic was not very successful and considered a bad move on the president's part. All Hoover did for the soldiers was order them to leave Washington. When this approach failed, he had federal troops scare the soldiers. Public opinion favored the veterans and Hoover was the bad guy which ultimately ruined any chances of him being reelected into office.