Who but Hoover?

You may know Hebert Hoover as the President that resided over the Great Depression (or the namesake of the Hoover Dam). He is arguably one of the most infamous of presidents for reasons that are not directly his fault.

In 1928, when Herbert Hoover started his campaign for presidency, the people of America were enjoying the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties. Hoover saw this and built his platform around spreading wealth and eradicating poverty. This was a solid stance for Hoover to take as his previous office was Secretary of Commerce and he had done his job well. The Hoover campaign had a catchy tagline of “Who but Hoover?” This tag was branded on everything of the campaign. From buttons to posters, Hoover’s face challenged people to come up with reasons why another candidate would be a better choice. Under the promise of “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage,” Hoover attracted the public garnering 58 percent of the public vote.

1928 campaign button (image courtesy of Tidewater Community College)

This slogan and campaign promise were designed for the people. When the nation’s economy is strong, it makes sense to promise to spread the wealth to the people. While the current appreciation for chickens and cars isn’t the highest, such goods were much less readily available in the 1920’s and were signs of the middle and upper classes. Hoover’s reputation as head of the Food Administration (wartime organization in charge of rationing) and the American Relief Administration (provided food to post-war central Europe) showed that he was more than capable of providing for the needy.

However, Hoover’s bubbly optimism was popped only eight months into his presidency. The stock market crashed and plunged the United States of America into what would become known as the Great Depression. Many people pinned the blame on the unfortunate Hoover (Hoover-villes) while opposing political parties attacked the Republicans of faulty policies. Circumstances such as these made Hoover’s reelection campaign in 1932 a nightmare. He attempted to recapture the optimism of his first campaign by proclaiming that “We are turning the corner!” The past three years of attempts to bring America out of the Great Depression did not impress the American public. The desperate bid for an extension to fix the economy was ignored by the people for the words of the Democratic candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt (“Happy days are here again”).

Hoover’s bad luck did not end with his crushing defeat in 1932. His name had become synonymous with the Depression. When FDR ran for reelection, the Republican Party ran an aggressive campaign against him. Despite all their efforts, the Republican candidate, Alfred Landon, was defeated by Roosevelt who had asked the American people to “remember Hoover.”

Hoover’s involvement in the presidential races showed that credentials make a large difference in winning elections, but any failures in administration can destroy the reputation of an entire political party.