An unpopular and scandal-ridden Republican President had just been buried, in the wake of his death, some of the worst scandals of the 20th century were to come to light. Two of President Harding's cabinet members would go to federal prison, one of his staffers would also go to prison. His successor, Vice-President Calvin Coolidge, had the charisma of a parking meter.
On the Democratic side, William Gibbs McAdoo, son-in-law of the beloved Woodrow Wilson, wound up in a head to head match up with Alfred E. Smith, the first Roman Catholic ever to be a serious candidate for President. Surely, either the glamorous McAdoo, or the up from the sidewalks of New York Smith would easily dismantle the hapless Coolidge.
It didn't happen. The Democrats destroyed themselves at a divisive national convention that went for an unprecendented 103 ballots -- the longest in our country's history. At the end of many, many days, John W. Davis, a corporate lawyer (and many years later the lawyer for the segregationist south in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case) was given a nomination that he himself said, had "little worth". Coolidge won easily in November.
Is 2008 going to be 1924 all over again? Are the Democrats beating each other up so much that they are creating the opportunity for John McCain to win the White House. Will history repeat itself? We'll see.
Posted on 4 March 2008 | 9:43 pm
Previous Posts
Karen Bass is new Speaker
Posted on 27 February 2008 | 8:56 pm
Leadership Changes Abound
Posted on 11 February 2008 | 8:52 pm
Election aftermath
Posted on 6 February 2008 | 2:04 pm
FORGET THE POLLSTERS, HERE'S WHAT THE BETTORS ARE SAYING
Posted on 5 February 2008 | 1:40 am