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The Republicans were worried about their prospects for the 1924 elections. After Hardings's death scandals had tarnished the Republicans. To the suprose of many, the laconic Coolidge was an instant hit with the public. The Roaring 20s had brought good times to many and the public saw it as the "Coolidge Prosperity". The Party remominated him on the first ballot at their Cleveland Convention. They also nominated Charles G. Dawes of Illinois for vice-president. The Party emerged from the Convenbtion united and confident about the election. The Convention was notable for being the first to be broacast on radio. The Democrats met in New York. They still maintained a two-thirds vote rule which made it virtually impossible to achieve agreement on a nominee. The leading candidate was the progressive govenor of New York--Alfred E. Smith. Franklin Roosevelt who had been stricken by polio made his first appearance in public since his illness when he delivered a stirring nomination speech for Smith. Govenor Smith was opposed by the southern Democrats who saw Smith as a Yankee, a Catholic, and the product of corupt political machine politics. His leaading opponent was William G. McAdoo of Tennessee who was less outgoing, but was a Protesant. He generated little enthusiasm among the northeastern delegates. The Democrats held over 100 ballots, a convention record. The Ku Klux Klan became an especially devisive issue at the Convention. John Davis of West Virginia eventually emerged as compromise candidate. Robert LaFollete of Wisconsin ran a third party campaign as the candidate of the Progressive party. The Republican's campaign slogan was "Keep Cool With Coolidge". The heady properity of the 20s along with the division of the Democrats helped ensure a Coolidge victory. The Harding Administration scandals did not affect Coolidge. He received 54 percent of the popular vote and a massive Electoral College victory.
The Republicans were worried about their prospects for the 1924 elections. After Hardings's death scandals had tarnished the Republicans. To the suprose of many, the laconic Coolidge was an instant hit with the public. The Roaring 20s had brought good times to many and the public saw it as the "Coolidge Prosperity".
The election took place in the middle of the Roaring 1920s. It was a decade of tremnemdous social change. Similar in many ways to the 1960s. World War I helped to generated tremendous change in America. Many soldiers drafted into militry had never traveled beyond the narrow confines of their local comminities, They were exposed to other parts of the United Sttes and or Europe. Demand for workers by war industries helped jump start the black exodus from the rural South to the Urban North. As in Europe, the War helped to dilute the old social certainties. This combined with the progressive impact of immigration and urbinization acted to open up American society. Women finally achieved the vote and while social limitations continued, women had never been so free. This was reflected in short skirts and skimpy bathing suits. It was also a decade of economic expansion providing many Americans the pportunity to indulge their passions and desires. And the country enbarked on one of the great moral crusades in its history--prohibition. It proved to be a dissater resulting in the growth of organized crime and gangster legends. As with all periods of social change, there was also a traditional reaction, a particularly ugly one--the Klu-Klux-Klan.
The Party remominated him on the first ballot at their Cleveland Convention. They also nominated Charles G. Dawes of Illinois for vice-president. The Party emerged from the Convenbtion united and confident about the election. The Convention was notable for being the first to be broacast on radio.
The Democratic Convention was a very different affair than the rather decorous Republican Convention. The Democrats met in New York--Madison Square Garden. The Washington Post described the delegates as "Tammany shouters, Yiddish chanters, vaudeville perforners, Sagwas Indians, hulu dancers, street cleaners, firemen, policemen, movie actors and actresses, bootleggers, ....". They still maintained a two-thirds vote rule which made it virtually impossible to achieve agreement on a nominee. There were 15 candidates, but two leading candidates. One was was the progressive govenor of New York--Alfred E. Smith. The other major candidate was William NcAdoo, a California lawyer. He had been a fixture in the Wilson Administration. He served as Secretry of the Treasury and innaddition was the president's son-in-law. The two men could not have been more different, personally and politically. Smith was outgoing and affable, Catholic, wet (opposed to prohibition) and came from big city ethnic politics. McAdoo was tacitern, Protesant, dry (stroing supporter of prohibition), and was supporte by the conservative rural West and South. Before beginning with the nomination process, the Democrats had a bruising plafform fight. The two most difficult platform issues centered on prohibition and the Ku-Klux-Klan both of which divided Smith and McAdoo suppoters. The delegates managed to reach a compromise position on prohibition--the Democrats committed to enforcing all laws, but did not specifically mention prohibition. The Klan issue proved much more difficult. There were many Klan members among the McAdoo supporters and they hated Catholics like Smith only slightly less than Blacks and Jews. The issue was a plank condeming violent secret socities. The issue was wether to specufy the Klan. The debate in the platform committe spread to the floor and became physical. Pro- and anti-Klan delegated brawled over control of the state banners, The govenors of Kentucky and Colorado were involved in the resulting fist fights. And as the Convention was covered by radio, the American people had a ring side seat go the comotion. Eventually the Convention decided by 1 vote not to name the Klan. The platform was finally settled, but many delegated were unhappy--some down right angry. This left the seething Convention in no mood to compromise on their choice of candidates. One author described a "torrent of oratory" with few equals in American history. In the midst of enumerable, lengthy, and windy nominating and seconding speeches was one bright spot. A crippled Franklin Roosevelt who was recovering from polio made his first appearance in public since his illness when he delivered a stirring nomination speech for Smith--with the memorable phrase describing the govenor as the 'Happy Warrior'. A notable feature of the Convention was the gallery. Smith as govenor of New York with a large following in New York City suceeded in packing the gallery with his supporters. Not only were the several thousand Smith gallery contingent loud, but they armed themselves with drums, tubas, trumpets and anything else they could find to make noise. This included the sireeens off New York City fire trucks. With the Smith gallery wa in full cry, they actually drove delegated out of the Convention hall because of the ear-splitting noise. The Washington Post reported, "It sounded like 10,000 voodoo doctors in a tropical jungle beating 10,000 tomtoms made of resonant washtubs." Govenor Smith was opposed by the southern Democrats who saw him as their worst nightmare--a Yankee, a Catholic, and the product of corupt political machine politics. His leaading opponent was William G. McAdoo of Tennessee who not a personable candidate like Smith, but at least was a safe Protesant. McAdoo was not viewed as an anethma by the northeastern delegates, but he did not inspire enthusism either. The Democrats held over 100 ballots, a convention record. The Ku Klux Klan became an especially devisive issue at the Convention. John Davis of West Virginia eventually emerged as compromise candidate.
Robert LaFollete of Wisconsin ran a third party campaign as the candidate of the Progressive party.
The Republican's campaign slogan was "Keep Cool With Coolidge".
The heady properity of the 20s along with the division of the Democrats helped ensure a Coolidge victory. The Harding Administration scandals did not affect Coolidge. He received 54 percent of the popular vote and a massive Electoral College victory.
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