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Alfred E. Smith · 1932 · Democratic contender
Four-term Governor of New York; 1928 Democratic nominee; contested the 1932 nomination against Roosevelt.
The 1928 nominee entered in February 1932 to block his former protégé. Won Massachusetts (April 26) and Rhode Island, ran strongly in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and led the "Stop Roosevelt" coalition at Chicago. Declared war on "demagogic" appeals at the April 13 Jefferson Day dinner and campaigned as a wet, pro-business Democrat with a distinctive war-debts plan. Refused to move to make the nomination unanimous.
Positions (4)
| Issue | Position | Kind | Strength | Attribution | Ev. | First | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European war debts and reparations | A twenty-year moratorium on the war debts, writing them off in proportion to each nation's purchases of American goods | pledge_forward | specific_pledge | reported | B | 1932-04-13 | not_applicable |
| Overall role and scale of the federal government | War on any candidate who makes 'demagogic appeals to the masses' setting class against class | pledge_forward | directional_stance | reported | B | 1932-04-13 | not_applicable |
| National Prohibition | Outright repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment — the issue Roosevelt was downplaying | pledge_forward | specific_pledge | reported | C | 1932-03-05 | not_applicable |
| Tariff levels | Endorsement of the Smoot-Hawley tariff | pledge_forward | directional_stance | reported | C | 1932-03-05 | not_applicable |