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Summary
People blamed Hoover for not fixing the economy. Hoover had spent nearly $5 billion on relief programs, but he
had raised taxes to do so, making him unpopular. And when Hoover used the army to clear out the Bonus Army, he made himself hated.
Hoover was not a good speaker, made only nine radio speeches, and frankly people didn't believe his promise that the USA would soon recover.
His campaign train was pelted with eggs and rotten fruit, and people even tried to assassinate him.
Franklin D. Roosevelt ran a much better campaign.
As Governor of New York, he had spent $20 million to help people in the Depression, and his wife Eleanor
was a campaigner for the poor.
He promised the '3Rs' – Relief, Recovery, and Reform – and a
'New Deal' with jobs and welfare; that he used a wheelchair, showing he could succeed over adversity, helped his credibility.
His campaign was energetic and positive, and he also promised to end Prohibition, which people liked.
Why did Roosevelt win the 1932 Presidential election?
Franklin D. Roosevelt won the 1932 Presidential Election due both to his own strengths, but also to the weaknesses of his opponent, Herbert Hoover.
Herbert Hoover was the President during the Great Depression, with all its hardships, and people blamed him for the depression because they felt his policies were ineffective. "In Hoover we trusted, now we are busted," showed their disappointment in his leadership.
Hoover did not ‘do nothing’ to address the depression – he pumped nearly £5 billion in various relief programmes – but to fund these anti-recession programs he raised income taxes on the highest incomes from 25% to 63%. This made him unpopular among the wealthy, and it didn't seem to help the economy much.
Another negative for Hoover was his handling of the Bonus Army. This was a group of World War I veterans who demanded early payment of their promised bonuses. Hoover’s decision use the army to clear their Hooverville was seen as an attack on war heroes, which further damaged his reputation.
Hoover was also a poor public speaker and only made nine radio speeches during his campaign, and all he seemed to be able to offer the public was the hope that the USA would soon "turn the corner" towards prosperity … an empty promise when people could see that his policies were not working. Hoover’s public image was so poor that cinemas wouldn't show his picture because people would boo. His campaign train was pelted with eggs and rotten fruit and, in one city, there were banners saying, "Hang Hoover." The Secret Service had to stop many attempts to assassinate him, including one by a suicide bomber.
In contrast, Franklin D. Roosevelt ran a much more effective campaign. As the Governor of New York, he had spent $20 million on measures to help people, which showed that he was actively trying to make a difference. He was married to Eleanor Roosevelt, a noted campaigner for the poor, which helped his image as someone who cared about the less fortunate.
Roosevelt was also a wheelchair user, which made him already a victor over adversity – something the country needed during those terrible times. He promised the "3Rs" – Relief, Recovery, and Reform – and a "New Deal" that included public works programs, welfare, support for industry and agriculture, and banking reform. These promises made him seem like a proactive leader with a solid plan. The term ‘New Deal’ appealed to hundreds of thousands of people who felt that life had dealt them a raw deal.
Roosevelt's campaign was vigorous and upbeat, making up to 15 speeches a day and using the song "Happy Days Are Here Again" to create a positive atmosphere. He declared the election a "crusade to restore America to its own people," which made it seem like he was fighting for the common man against the rich and powerful. He also promised to end Prohibition, which was with many Americans.
In summary, Roosevelt won the 1932 Presidential Election because he offered hope and clear plans for recovery, while Hoover's policies and actions had lost the trust and support of the American people.
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