Make America Great Again: A Hearst TL

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The above photo shows Lindbergh meeting with Hearst. Hearst apparently hosted Lindbergh at San Simeon, so the two teaming up isn't totally implausible.

I hope to coincide the posting of the 1932 Democratic Convention results with the actual Democratic convention next week. Naturally, TTL's convention will be far more... contentious.
 
San Simeon California


Hearst’s mansion was recognizable from a considerable distance. Seated up some considerable altitude, it resembled a medieval castle from an old fairytale. Hearst called it the “Enchanted Hill.” Not what John Winthrop meant when he spoke of a shining city upon a hill. McAdoo jolted as the limousine hit a curve. A castle is fit for a king, not a President. The limousine came to a halt, and the chauffeur escorted McAdoo to the entrance of the mansion. Two swordsmen, chiseled from white marble, guarded the gates, where Hearst’s butler awaited. A black porter took McAdoo’s hat and coat. “Who knew Hearst was such a friend to the Negro? Aren’t there white men available for such jobs?” he remarked to the butler. The butler replied with a casual crack about lynchings, before leading McAdoo to a large sitting room, filled with books, roman sculptures, and other assorted oddities. The lit fireplace was all that kept McAdoo from feeling he had entered the tomb of an Egyptian Pharaoh.


“Welcome, Mr. McAdoo!” Marion Davies gestured to a chair. “Mr. Hearst just stepped out to the privy; he’ll be here momentarily.”


“You don’t seem to be Mrs. Hearst, young lady.” Davies expression faltered.


“Don’t try me Gibbs.” Hearst reappeared in the opposing doorway and then slunk into an antique arm chair.


“If it isn’t the Barnum of the West! The Great Commoner! The People’s Tribune! The Caesar of California! His Royal Highness the Wizard of Oz!”


“Now be reasonable! It is true I have added a little flair to the campaign, but this is simply what the people crave. I am no short-fingered vulgarian, but a gentleman with his ear to the ground, listening to the voice of the ordinary folk. What I have done is not so unusual- I am no worse than Andrew Jackson. I have no fondness for your pappy Wilson, but our vision is more similar than dissimilar. Better I chide you banksters then see a mob of anarchists hang you all from the gallows.” Hearst paused.


“My boys have been very gentle to you. The Papist and the Cripple I have had destroyed. But you are a man of character and wisdom. You must realize the old way of politics is over. The Depression has killed it. The only question that remains is what shape the new order will take. The Republican Party is dead. The Radicals are gathering their forces. We must elect a government dedicated to Americanism. You must lead the delegates from California to vote for me at the Convention, and persuade the Old Guard I can be trusted. If you want a future in politics, you must stand with me. If it’s a Senate seat you want; I can grant you that seat. I can’t promise you the Treasury, unfortunately. The American People will be looking for something fresher. But know that we stand together more than we stand apart. America must be saved, and I alone can fix it. It’s either me or damnation.”



The Democratic Convention Begins


They had come from all over the country to Chicago to decide who would be the next president. Since the Civil War, the Democrats had been the default party of the opposition, and the Republicans were the party of government. But now the Republican Party was wholly discredited. After making large gains in the congressional elections of 1930, the Democrats were finally poised to take control over the entire nation. The delegates were thus greatly energized. Party stalwarts took the opportunity to engage in local boosterism and promote their favorite son. Candidates passed down the streets on motorcades; waving to the nearby crowds. Thousands more came to witness the overblown spectacle; while salesmen and hucksters prowled the streets, waiting for their next con.


Al Smith, with the tacit support of Mayor Cermak, had arranged for his supporters to infiltrate the crowds and cheer wildly when his motorcade passed; overcoming the jeers and chants of his supporters. Some of Smith’s friends in Chicago had erected a large banner reading “We’re all for Al.” Smith had prepared to give a speech following the loud and constant chants of his name. As Smith tipped his hat to the crowd, he was interrupted by loud roar from the air. The crowd suddenly grew silent as a biplane passed overhead.


The newsboys of the Chicago Herald Examiner, who had been working the crowds, suddenly declared “It’s Lucky Lindy and Hearst!” At first, the crowd frantically called for “Lindy!” but this was soon overtaken with chants for “Hearst! Hearst!” The biplane swirled overhead, performing a few stunts to the delight of the crowd. Al Smith jumped out of his automobile and stood wordless staring at the sky; his face rapidly turned purple as his mouth contorted with anger.


The plane eventually landed in Grant Park, where Hearst’s supporters had gathered; as hundreds more followed the plane into the park. Hearst’s men hastily unveiled an enormous poster of their candidate, further exciting the crowd. As Lindbergh and Hearst loitered inside the plane, a podium was erected nearby, as Merrill Meigs approached. Meigs was the head of the Hearst operation in Chicago; and an aviation enthusiast. He thus beamed with delight as he neared the plane. “Hail Lindbergh! Hail Hearst!” He saluted the crowd and motioned for a marching band that had suddenly appeared to begin playing “Lindbergh, the Eagle of the USA” and subsequently “Hail, Hail the Gang’s All Here..” Meigs escorted Lindbergh to the podium, raising his hand high and praising the merits of the pilot. Lindbergh then began to speak.


“Now, my fellow citizens, don’t applaud for me. I’m but a humble pilot, just a private citizen who loves his country. I’m just a man who wants Americanism to be restored as our nation’s essential creed. I come to you on behalf of a man so unafraid to stand up to the powers of Europe that the effete French government deported him. I come to you on behalf of a man who has dedicated his life to delivering the truth to the American people. A man who has fought day and night for the interests of the common man. A man who has used the power of the press to ensure that democracy is preserved and that the timeless American values of debate, argument, and patriotism enter the public commons. He has not been afraid to make enemies, but he has always been the best friend of the American people. He will make America great again! Though I be a Republican, I take great pride in introducing the next president of the United States, William Randolph Hearst!”


From a distance, Al Smith saw Hearst appear in front of a giant campaign poster. “ It’s William Jennings Bryan all over again. This whole thing is a damn circus!” he complained before throwing his hat into the crowd and gesticulating at his driver to return to his hotel.


Roosevelt’s Last Stand


It should have been the defining moment of his career. But now, Louis Howe had been laid to ruin by his old foe. In 1906 Howe had sabotaged Hearst’s campaign for Governor of New York; apparently killing Hearst’s political viability. Now Hearst was again ascendant; and Franklin Roosevelt, who had been preparing to run for President since his Vice Presidential nomination in 1920, was publicly discredited. The whole world knew Hearst to be a scoundrel, and yet his blatant lying and demagoguery threatened to permanently transform the Democratic Party. Howe had talked to many of the leaders of the state delegations; they expressed sympathy but indicated they could not publicly support Roosevelt unless public sentiment were to radically change. While Roosevelt had been able to discredit some of Hearst’s smears (Hearst newspapers were heavily distrusted by many due to a long record of libel); he was still generally viewed as “low-energy” and as a pawn for more malevolent forces. What was needed was a display of strength.


Roosevelt had insisted on being publicly seen at the Convention walking to the Chicago Stadium stage. Roosevelt had a limited ability to walk while wearing leg braces; and he believed he could feign fitness of body long enough to disprove the Hearst allegations. Howe had strongly advised against what he considered to be a stunt. But Roosevelt was obstinate. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Hearst hasn’t got a real leg to stand on, but I do.”


Now Louis Howe would see if Roosevelt’s optimism was not misplaced.


James Farley, the Chairman of the New York Democrats, had just finished his speech praising the merits of Roosevelt and declaring that he was in good health. He fully denounced “the nasty rumors in the newspapers. There’s no one more energetic than our Governor." He asked the Convention to welcome Roosevelt to the stage. There were a few boos, but otherwise the audience was respectful. Roosevelt, seated among the New York delegates, stood from his wheelchair and slowly moved towards the stage. Awkwardly, but firmly, he moved forward. Howe sighed, relieved.


And then Roosevelt suddenly collapsed as he attempted to climb the staircase.


1932 Democratic Convention First Ballot

Alfred Smith- 451

William Randolph Hearst-305.75

Newton Baker- 62

Harry Byrd- 50

Melvin Traylor- 42.5

“Alfalfa Bill” Murray-40

Franklin Roosevelt-31.25

John Nance Garner- 30

Huey Long- 28.5

George Dern-25

James Reed-24

Albert Richie-21

Paul McNutt*- 14

James Curley-11

Burton Wheeler- 5

Walter George- 3

William Gibbs McAdoo-2

James Byrnes-1



*Paul McNutt, candidate for Governor of Indiana, unexpectedly entered the race at the Convention
 
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So, just to refresh my memory after the hiatus, how bad can a Hearts administration be in terms of domestic policy?
 
I initially started this timeline with the idea that it would take a Great Depression scale catastrophe to elect a complete demagogue as President. I guess I was wrong. In any case, the results of the 1932 DNC below.

“For there is something about a national convention that makes it as fascinating as a revival or a hanging. It is vulgar, it is ugly, it is stupid, it is tedious, it is hard upon both the higher cerebral centers and the gluteus maximus, and yet it is somehow charming. One sits through long sessions wishing heartily that all the delegates and alternates were dead and in hell—and then suddenly there comes a show so gaudy and hilarious, so melodramatic and obscene, unimaginably exhilarating and preposterous that one lives a gorgeous year in an hour.” - H.L Mencken



“I am not a member of any organized party. I am a Democrat.” - Will Rogers



1932 Democratic Convention Tenth Ballot


Alfred Smith- 503.75


William Randolph Hearst-381.75


Newton Baker- 70


Harry Byrd- 50


George Dern-40


Huey Long - 28.5


James Reed-24


Albert Ritchie-19


Paul McNutt- 11


James Curley-11


Owen Young- 8




Given his constant castigation of machine politicians, the strength of Hearst at the Convention was surprising. He had more friends in Illinois than the Machine politicians had accounted for, and his ties in the Democratic Party extended back to his first presidential run in 1904. In addition to his home state of California, he had significant support in the South, to which he added delegates from Oklahoma and Texas following the withdrawal and endorsements of Governor Murray and Speaker Garner. His friend Henry Ford headed the Michigan delegation (although Detroit Mayor Frank Murphy opposed Hearst), and Lindbergh had gained him friends in Minnesota and the Midwest. His victory in the primaries helped, although McAdoo, the California delegation leader, could personally attest that success in the primaries did not translate into a nomination. Nevertheless, the establishment and party bosses rallied around Al Smith, who struggled to gain a majority of delegates. The Convention rules stipulated that a two-thirds majority was needed to nominate a candidate, and Smith appeared incapable of reaching this tipping point, due to the stated opposition of the revived Klan. Hearst himself refused to budge or compromise; threatening to resurrect his political vehicle from the 1900s, the Independence League, rather than endorse Smith. Following the collapse of Roosevelt, George Dern emerged as the hope of the left progressives, but many left-wing delegates found Hearst style populism more appealing; while more mainstream progressives gravitated to Smith. Baker, Byrd, and Richie hoped to emerge as compromise candidates; while Long, McNutt and Curley sought to play spoiler. Some of Curley’s supporters from Massachusetts had reluctantly been seated at the Convention by Governor Ely, but Curley himself had been barred from representing his home state.



Given the deadlock over the first ten ballots, Jouette Shouse, the Convention Chair, agreed to allow candidates or their surrogates to address the delegates. Various Tammany functionaries gave dry speeches praising the merits of Al Smith, to loud boos from the Southern delegations. New York Mayor Jimmy Walker was forced to leave the stage due to his unpopularity. Baker and Ritchie were surprisingly lackluster. Los Angeles Mayor John Clinton Porter called for America to be defended against Mexicans; while Bishop James Cannon railed against the Pope and the evils of alcohol. Governor Ely denounced Cannon, and pointed out that Hearst had supported Hoover just a mere four years ago. “He has no loyalties, and knows only political convenience.” Huey Long promised to make “Every Man a King” and told the delegates “Don’t vote for the bosses candidates. Vote your conscience.” Joseph Taylor Robinson of Arkansas, the vice presidential candidate in 1928, praised Governor Smith and called for Democratic unity. He was met with tepid applause. John Raskob, the DNC chair, publicly declared for Smith. Henry Ford praised Hearst’s business skills, and darkly intoned against the influence of “International Financiers”. Robert Moses praised the principles of modern management, denounced the bigotry of Hearst, and claimed he was the puppet of the Klan. He was thus heckled with cries of “Jew! Jew!” Shouse rapidly directed the Convention Band to begin playing “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”



While Al Smith prepared to give his speech; Hearst instead sent Governor Murray of Oklahoma to precede him. Murray, although regarded as rather eccentric, was a much fierier and effective speaker than Hearst. Murray, with his wild hair and unkempt suit, called Smith a false friend of the workingman, repeating allegations from Hearst papers that his policies had led to the starving of children. “Rather than vote for this dupe of Wall Street, Smith the milk snatcher, the true Democrats should form a third party that will win the support of the American people. Say No to Tammany, say Yes to America.”



Following the ruckus and chaos of Alfalfa Bill’s speech, Al Smith took the stage. “I always thought that New York was in America, but Governor Murray has alerted me to the fact I live in Lilliput.” The New York delegation cheered. “I don’t know how many of you remember 1924. I know I do. We can’t afford another mess like that. The stakes are just too high. Infighting will only deliver this election to the Republicans. And if we deliver this election to the party of the rich, I don’t know how many of the poor will be left by 1936.” The crowd murmured with assent. Smith smiled. “Let’s dispel with this fiction Herbert Hoover doesn’t know what he’s doing. He knows exactly-”



“You lie!” yelled a voice from the Puerto Rico delegation. The voice belonged to Puerto Rican delegate and longtime resident of San Juan, Boston Mayor James Curley.



Curley and a crowd of his men ran up to the stage. “What about Vivian Gordon, you Tammany maggot! You had her killed!”



Smith looked at Curley, confused. “We need to dispel with this fiction that Herbert Hoover doesn’t know what-”



“You’re nothing but a bought man for murderers and thieves! You call yourself Catholic? I have never heard such a falsehood.. I’d rather vote for the Devil himself than a Limey-loving, murderous sinner like you!”



“Hoover is-”



“Vivian Gordon! Vivian Gordon!”



The California delegation joined the chant. “Vivian Gordon! Vivian Gordon!”



“The lies from that Hearst bastard are completely preposterous! Restrain this man!” The band rapidly began playing “You’re a Grand Old Flag” as more and more delegates began crying “Vivian Gordon” while the Smith supporters began counter chanting “To Hell with Hearst!”



As the jeers and chants continued, McAdoo turned to his friend Tom Storke. “I suppose that’s the end of Smith,” said Storke.



“The fight ain’t over yet. Let’s see what other candidate the bosses have in their bag.”



1932 Democratic Convention Thirty Fifth Ballot


William Randolph Hearst-435.5


Albert Ritchie-235


Harry Byrd- 110


Newton Baker- 105


Alfred Smith- 100.5


George Dern-75.5


Huey Long - 28.5


Owen Young- 20


Carl Hayden- 10


Thomas Walsh- 10


Alben Barkley- 9


William Ayres- 5


Cordell Hull- 2


Will Rogers-1




James Curley had broken the spell over the Democratic Party delegates. His public attack showed that Al Smith’s grip on his urban Catholic base was weaker than it initially appeared. Furthermore, his mention of Vivian Gordon, revived allegations of Smith’s ties to organized crime. The death of Vivian Gordon was believed to be connected to an attempted cover-up of police corruption under Smith protégée Mayor Walker. This particular smear, ironically, originated not from Hearst, but from the Roosevelt camp- the Governor had appointed Judge Seabury to look into the murder; and Roosevelt implied that Al Smith, by supporting Tammany, was complicit in corruption and lawlessness. There was no evidence linking Smith to the murder, but the claims reinforced the general perception of Al Smith as “Crooked”. Curley was primarily motivated by animosity towards Governor Ely and his establishment allies; who were attempting to destroy Curley’s political career. Following his outburst, Curley declared for Hearst, and was followed by James Reed. This showed that Hearst had appeal among the urban working classes in the Northeast; and further discredited allegations from the Smith camp of Anti-Catholicism. Despite his populism, Curley’s endorsement of Hearst came as an unexpected betrayal to the Tammany Machine. While Tammany loyalists remained behind Smith, the Happy Warrior gradually bled delegates as the Convention voted on more ballots. The collapse of Smith left Hearst the apparent front runner, as the establishment delegates scattered. Smith stubbornly refused to withdraw or endorse another candidate, preventing any of the alternatives from passing Hearst in the delegate count.



Nevertheless, Governor Albert Ritchie of Maryland tentatively emerged as the new Establishment favorite. The threat of a Southern split led to a search for an acceptable Southern candidate to eliminate Hearst’s support in the deep South. Since Ritchie was from the upper South, he avoided being “too Southern” and was thus seen as an acceptable compromise candidate. In his fourth term as Governor, Ritchie was popular in his home state and was nationally well liked. The candidacies of Harry Byrd and Newton Baker, however, prevented him from gathering enough support to pass Hearst. Smith remembered that Ritchie’s neutrality in the 1924 Convention cost him the nomination, and sent forth Tammany surrogates to denounce him as insufficiently progressive and dull. Ritchie returned to the stage to give a speech about how well he had managed Maryland; while the Maryland delegates were enthusiastic, delegates from other states seemed bored. “Enough about Maryland, what will Governor Ritchie do for America?” asked Washington Senator Clarence Dill. Father Coughlin denounced him as a tool of the bankers. In comparison to some of the fierier speakers and candidates, Ritchie seemed safe but uninspiring.



After the 35th Ballot, Senator Bilbo of Mississippi took the stage. “I know the City machines would have you believe that Ritchie is a friend of the common man. Why, some from my own state are foolish enough to vote for him. But I tell you, don’t believe their lies! Ritchie is a Communist who would see the mongrelization of the white race! The bosses would have as our president a latter day scalawag! Our dear Governor has made friends with Walter White, a n***** and a communist who leads the National Association for the Advancement of the Coloreds! This NAACP holds that the Black man should hold more rights than the White man! Ritchie would see Aryan supremacy destroyed; and a tide of barbarism and miscegenation sweep the land! Ritchie once allowed a lodge of n***** into the legislature of his state. I have sworn upon the name of Jesus Christ above that I will not see the humiliation inflicted on my native land repeated. To allow negroes into the halls of government in such manner is gravely irresponsible, if not seditious! Would a President Ritchie allow THEM into the White House? Before us, we see a puppet of the same forces that would have given us a Rosenfeld dictatorship! And I for one will not stand for it. Will you, my fellow delegates and honorable patriots, stand for this?”



“NO!” cried the delegations from the Deep South. They were joined by the California delegation; although McAdoo seemed embarrassed. “We are the rednecks! Rah-rah for Bilbo! Rah-rah for Hearst!”


The Maryland delegation began yelling at the Mississippi delegation, as scuffles broke out on the Convention floor. Shouse ordered the band to play "You're a Grand Old Flag" as he rushed to the floor to break up the fight.




The Smoked Filled Room



“So Ritchie is off the list, then?” asked Joseph Kennedy.



“Neither the Progressives or the Cottonheads will have him. Rayburn confirmed the Texas delegation is still for Hearst, and Connally won’t defect. I suppose we could persuade the other candidates to withdraw; but what then? If Hearst is to run third party, we need a strong campaigner to keep some of the fireworks for ourselves; and frankly Ritchie isn’t charismatic enough to hold his own against such overwhelming demagoguery. We don’t need another repeat of 1924, with due respect to Mr. Davis,” replied Alben Barkley.



John Davis declined a cigar. “I’ve been talking to McAdoo, and he says Hearst is doing much of this for show. I think we may have to settle for Hearst, unless we want to stay here until 1933.”



“We can’t hand over the keys of our party to the demagogues,” said Joseph Taylor Robinson. “We need a real alternative.”



“Is there still no chance of Smith coming around?” asked Frank Hague.



“I’m afraid our Happy Warrior has become the perpetually Angry Warrior. He hates Hearst, but he refuses to withdraw in the hope that if he keeps plugging long enough, he’ll pull through.” DNC chair John Raskob sighed. “I suppose there’s Governor Byrd-too conservative, or perhaps another ‘Man of the People’ from the deep South. We need a Bryan without Bryanism, so to speak.”



“What we need is an outsider. Hearst has changed the rules of the game, so let’s play by his rules. I say we rally around Owen Young. I’ve already talked to Dill and Dern- if he gets enough delegates from the east and the west, he’ll have enough momentum to overcome Hearst.” Senator Burton Wheeler said.



James Farley nodded. “Young is well liked in the east as well, and he isn’t tied to any of the machines. He’s a modern manager with no record to criticize. Hearst can’t tar him the same way he did Smith or Roosevelt. Have you read Tarbell’s biography? He’s a real life Horatio Alger. A businessman even the Wobblies can love. The man is a New Yorker- I can rally enough delegates from the East to add to Dern’s forces in the West. If we promise the Vice Presidency to say Garner or Hull, perhaps the South will acquiesce. When it comes down to it these rabble-rousers won’t have much of an impact in a national election.”



Jouett Shouse looked sharply at Farley. “The last progressive hero you managed just ended his political career. I think we need a more consistently conservative type. Clarence Dill, you say?”



“Owen Young is no radical,” said John Curry, the Grand Sachum of Tammany. “He is a forward thinker, but his moderation would allow for limited government, I think. The only issue is that Young is not in Chicago at the moment, and I fear he may need to come soon before the demagogues throw a wrench into the works.”



“If Young gains enough momentum, my delegates will back him,” Mayor Cermak replied. “Then Young’s support will be broad enough to overcome the Southern splitters. Young is a far superior businessman than Hearst. This will definitely undercut his appeal.”



“I might be interested in the Vice Presidency,” said James Byrnes “and if we nominate Young I stop a split. I’ll talk to my friends in South Carolina and elsewhere. Perhaps we can make this work. Send him a telegram!”


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As Ritchie gradually lost delegates over the next few ballots, there was a significant increase in the number of delegates headed towards Owen Young. George Dern endorsed Owen Young and withdrew from the ballot, giving Owen Young over a hundred delegates. Governor Roosevelt also endorsed Young. Owen Young continued to rise in the vote count as delegates from New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. As speaker after speaker denounced the demagoguery of Hearst, the shift in delegates had turned into a stampede. As Hearst bled delegates, Owen Young took the lead. It was rumored that Young himself would arrive shortly in Chicago to give his acceptance speech. James Byrnes began talks with Baker, Ritchie, and Byrd; though each candidate rebuffed him as he was not the official representative of Young. Al Smith continued to fade into irrelevance; and Hearst seemed to be in serious trouble. It seemed it would only be a matter of time before Young arrived, and the remaining lesser candidates rallied around him.


1932 Democratic Convention Forty Seventh Ballot

Owen Young- 405

William Randolph Hearst-350.5

Newton Baker-120

Albert Ritchie-110

Harry Byrd-64

Alfred E Smith-50

Huey Long-45.5

J. Hamilton Lewis-2



Following the 47th ballot, Hearst sent more campaign surrogates to the Convention stage. William Gibbs McAdoo denounced Young as representing the collusion of big government and big business- “The ideology represented by Owen Young is the same as that of the Republican Party. We’ve already elected such an ‘enlightened businessman’- and his name is Herbert Hoover. We must resist the Hooverization of the Democratic Party. The Conservatives of the Democratic Party should never back an empty charlatan like Young.”


Former New York mayor John Francis Hylan, largely considered to be a Hearst puppet, took the stage following McAdoo. “I cannot believe that after the cabal of international bankers and Rockefellers have utterly ruined the prosperity of this country, we in the party of the workingman are considering nominating their catspaw.” He repeatedly denounced what he called the “Power Trust”. “This wicked monopoly seeks to devour the poor, the immigrant and the farmer, the tenement dweller and rancher alike. This Owen Young is little more than a second rate Herbert Hoover; and he is controlled by the same interests. And yet, I see the Progressive bloc has chosen him as their savior. Don’t be fooled! True Progressives have long fought against this power trust. The powers that be seek to RIG the system so that Americans don’t have a real choice. We have one chance to achieve true Jeffersonian Democracy in this country. There is no next election! This is it! If we don’t elect Hearst, the Iron Heel will crush the common people forever!”


“It is clear that Owen Young is the pawn of the internationalists and the British. The Young Plan for Germany was designed by no other than J.P Morgan- one of the same men responsible for the Wall Street crash.” Hylan held up a copy of the New York Journal American. “Just this month, the British banker Samuel Insull, a collaborator of Young and king of the monstrous utility cabal, has fled the country due to the mismanagement of his company; which partially resulted in the crash. We are not wholly certain how, but we know for a fact that Young played a role in this failure. His reputation as a businessman is terribly exaggerated- why should we place in power the same sort who destroyed us in the first place? Young would sell out American sovereignty to the League of Nations and the World Court; he would steal our gold and cancel European debts to us. America First, I say! To heck with the internationalist cabals and the bankers who care only for the interests of the rich. Stand with Hearst for the Common Man, for the Ordinary American!”


There was a considerable uproar on the Convention floor as the delegates began bickering and shouting among themselves. The band again began playing “You’re a Grand Old Flag” as Hylan left the stage. Clarence Dill rose up to the podium.


“In truth I have very little positive to say regarding Mr. Young. I had agreed to back him, in order to break the deadlock and defeat the alliance of demagogues and fraudsters. Mayor Hylan is right. I have studied the Power Trust in great detail, and I know that Mr. Young has a sinister influence over the radio industry. What we have before us is a false progressive- a Wall Street man in false garb. I have also long been opposed to our intervention overseas- we must remember Washington’s warning against entangling alliances. Well, it seems to me that Mr. Young would have us do an awful lot of entangling. I cannot currently support any of the candidates on the ballot. Therefore, I do declare my candidacy for the Presidency of the United States.”


The Kentucky and Illinois delegations began shouting with outrage. “Judas! Judas!” The California and Texas delegations chanted “Main Street Not Wall Street! America, not Europe! Hearst, not Young!” The band played “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and Shouse called for order and commenced voting on the next ballot.


Owen Young lost delegates as Clarence Dill gained delegates. Hearst received a boost from the New York delegation. Brooklyn boss John McCooey, a friend of Hylan and Hearst, had originally backed Smith, and had until this point voted for other candidates as a courtesy to his Tammany colleagues. Following Owen Young’s peak, McCooey felt no more obligation to support the disorganized Tammany forces. With the support of both James Curley’s Boston machine and McCooey’s Brooklyn machine, Hearst now had significant support in the Northeast.


After the 51st ballot, Shouse read aloud a telegram from Owen Young. “I have decided to remain a private citizen and thus will not be a candidate for President of the United States.”




1932 Democratic Convention Sixty Ninth Ballot

William Randolph Hearst-540

Newton Baker-305

Clarence Dill- 200

Huey Long-60

Albert Ritchie-40

William Bankhead-2



Now that several bosses were backing Hearst, the establishment was even further divided. Barkley, Cermak, Roosevelt, Smith, Byrd, and Ely had thrown their support behind Newton Baker. Baker was an internationalist and a staunch supporter of the League of Nations. As a Midwesterner, it was hoped that he could overcome sectional loyalties and appeal to the whole country. Baker took to the stage and declared Hearst be a fraud, an enemy of democracy, a political opportunist and a threat to America. While his speech elicited wild cheers, he did not seem likely to overtake Hearst. As the Convention continued for days, the delegates became increasingly frustrated with the remaining anti-Hearst holdouts. Montana Senator Thomas Walsh, who backed Dill, denounced Baker as “the candidate of the trusts, banks, and internationalists. While I respect Secretary Baker, it is clear he is unacceptable to the majority of the Democratic Party.” Detroit Mayor Frank Murphy declared that Dill was “the true voice for the common man.” Ohio Governor George White spoke in favor of Baker and good government. Hearst brought forth more demagogues- John Brinkley, the quack doctor from Kansas, denounced the Democratic establishment, and called for “A Revolution in Middle America.” Senator Bankhead called for the execution of the Scottsboro Boys; and noted approvingly that Hearst was the only presidential candidate who publically agreed with him. Former Governor Miriam Ferguson of Texas denounced the Mexican government, the Spanish language, and declared that only Hearst could save Texas from Mexican banditry. “Shall we allow the internationalists Hoover and Baker to sell us out to an inferior people? Shall we see another Battle of the Alamo? Not in my Texas, not in my America. America First! Hearst Forever!” New York Senator Royal Copeland, following the lead of Boss McCooey, spoke in favor of Hearst, in an effort to convince Al Smith and the Tammany forces.


Arthur Brisbane, Edward Clark and Joseph Willicombe; who were Hearst’s personal representatives, had met with the leaders of the state delegations, attempting to eliminate any remaining holdouts. They made clear that Baker was totally unacceptable to Hearst; and that a split in the Democratic Party was inevitable should he somehow win the nomination. Tammany Boss Curry, who headed the holdouts, declared that Hearst was completely unacceptable; and that he would drop support for Baker if Hearst dropped out of the race. He suggested Speaker Garner as a compromise candidate, but Garner showed no signs of being an enthusiastic campaigner. Joseph Taylor Robinson threatened to challenge Hearst to a duel.


The Smoked Filled Room, Part 2


“I am willing to withdraw, assuming it would be in favor of a candidate who could win.”


“As long as it isn’t Dill,” sighed John Raskob as he lit his cigar. “That damn socialist would totally destroy business in this country.”


“If this situation is not resolved quickly, I’m afraid I’ll have to back Hearst. We need another alternative.” said Jouette Shouse.


“Owen Young, was, I think, a little too ambivalent. We need someone with a little more spark. A demagogue of our own.” replied Mayor Cermak.


“Well-” James Farley paused. “Well, there might be such a candidate. I think with him we can eat away at Hearst’s southern support, and perhaps gain some progressives too- Dill might be willing to endorse. After listening to a few of his speeches, I’m certain he can Out-Hearst Hearst.”


James Byrnes dropped his jaw. “You can’t mean- no, not him! Anyone but him! He’s completely out of our control!”


“I’ve talked with Hattie Caraway about this- she’s how he keeps getting votes from the Arkansas delegation. He may be amenable to our persuasion, provided it’s clear that he will go nowhere without us,” said Senator Robinson.


“Desperate times call for desperate measures.” stated Boss Curry. “I’ll field a conservative for the Vice Presidency- a safe pair of hands from the north to balance the ticket.”


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“I was once a Roosevelt man as well, Mr. Farley. I’m glad to see our party elders have seen reason.” Huey Long grinned. “I’ll make them all kings.”


1932 Democratic Convention Eighty Fifth Ballot

William Randolph Hearst-510.5

Huey Long-465.5

Clarence Dill- 160

Newton Baker- 6

Charlie Chaplin-2

Mickey Mouse-1

King George V-1

Betty Boop-1




The coalition backing Long was a strange beast. The Kingfish had significant support from the Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia delegations. (Frank Hague of New Jersey had been persuaded by Arthur Brisbane and James Curley to take his chances with Hearst.) The only thing holding together this loose coalition was mutual distrust of Hearst. Clarence Dill continued to hold the support of the left wing of the Democratic Party; denouncing both Long and Hearst as dictators.


Nevertheless, these uneasy allies had effectively tied the Convention. Although Hearst maintained a narrow lead, the remainder of the Convention was staunchly opposed to him; and Huey Long was potentially appealing to much of Hearst’s constituency. Hearst had never considered Long to be a serious rival, and thus there were relatively few smears in the press by the Hearst papers that could be used against the Governor. It was difficult to attack Long on policy- as a firm populist, his appeal was similar to that of Hearst. Perhaps he was a dictator, but so was Hearst. Long could even outmatch Hearst on foreign policy- he denounced Hearst’s support for the Spanish-American War and called him “an internationalist and a tool of Wall Street.” Given Long’s background, he had much more legitimacy as a “Man of the People.”


The fragility of Long’s support, however, would ultimately prove to be his undoing. The selection of Long by the anti-Hearst forces would end up alienating conservatives. Long was perhaps the one candidate hated more than Hearst. Joseph Kennedy and Joe Willicombe told the party bosses that Long was effectively a Bolshevik. As Long gained more exposure at the Convention and generally refused to moderate his rhetoric, the Long coalition began to shatter. John Davis and the West Virginia delegation eventually abandoned Long for Baker. While the Tammany forces despised Hearst; Long was an unknown entity that they could not control. The support for Huey Long was gradually slipping away.


Before the casting of the Ninetieth Ballot, Long took to the stage to assuage some of his more reluctant supporters. The speech that followed was rather unexpected.


“My fellow Americans, I am sad to tell you that We have been DUPED! DUPED, I say. The bosses would have Hearst and myself tear each other apart. Divide and conquer, the old Roman saying goes. When the forces of the people fight among themselves, it only helps Wall Street. The international financiers have no interest in having a candidate of the people. They have only risen me up so as to destroy me. I don’t think I’ve ever been accused of a lack of ambition, but to the Rockefellers and the Bankers and the Rothschilds I say No! I must put my country first. I must salute the next President of the United States. Hail Hearst!”


1932 Democratic Convention Ninety Eighth Ballot

William Randolph Hearst-720

Newton Baker-300

Clarence Dill-125

George Washington-2




“My victory is now inevitable. I must congratulate you for all the good work you’ve done so far- you’ve sabotaged the bosses from within mighty well. I must praise you again, Joe, for engineering that Curley stunt. And yet a few remaining bosses prevent my reaching the two-thirds threshold. Who are the holdouts, Joe?”


“Well, Cermak would have you executed by firing squad, the Wilsonians want you drawn and quartered, Tammany wants you hanged, the Progressives want you guillotined, and Al Smith wants you to be roasted alive and eaten by cannibals.” Kennedy replied. “Davis, Hague and Robinson are in our camp; and I can sway Governor Ely and the remainder of the Massachusetts delegation. I think much of the opposition is open to being wooed, they just want concessions to ensure your reliability.”


“I’ve already being paying for their hotel rooms. I’ve taken a heavy hit in the past couple of years, I’d say I’m already being mighty generous.”


“Bribery can only get us so far. A lot of the Tammany boys are more sympathetic than you think; but Roosevelt and Smith are holding a sword over their heads. All you have to do is give the bosses a big enough slice of the pie,” said Joe Willicombe. “Then Shouse will browbeat the rest into line.”


“I’m afraid that Roosevelt and Smith are too embittered to be persuaded- and I’d prefer we not be in debt to Tammany again. Compromising with Baker is unacceptable; and Dill is too pink to be trusted. By process of elimination; that requires cooperation from Cermak and a few others.”


“The problem is that Cermak doesn’t trust me since I backed Mayor Thompson, Ed. Cermak’s machine is also filled with Jews who oppose Americanism, while I support Americanism in both parties. But those bohunks have no moral principles or backbone so perhaps he could be become my friend. I have friends of all political persuasions; surely someone is intelligent enough to see past this silliness. Summon Cermak and Shouse.”



1932 Democratic Convention One Hundred and Fifth Ballot

William Randolph Hearst-850

Newton Baker-180

None-92

George Washington-25



Hearst was finally selected as the nominee on the 105th ballot, following the full committal of the Illinois delegation. Cermak, seeking to break the gridlock, was persuaded by Joseph Kennedy to back Hearst in light of certain concessions. Given Hearst’s support for Cermak’s predecessor and rival, the demagogue “Big Bill” Thompson; the Mayor did not trust Hearst and drove a hard bargain. Upon Hearst’s election, Cermak was to be given complete control over all patronage in Illinois. Hearst also agreed to appoint Cermak’s ally, Senator James “Ham” Lewis as his running mate. (Lewis at one point had been an ally of Hearst, speaking on his behalf at the 1924 Democratic Convention.) In return, Cermak agreed to withdraw Henry Horner as the Democratic nominee for Governor of Illinois since Hearst objected to supporting the political aspirations of a Jew. Kennedy, already a friend of Hearst, was given a senior position in the Hearst campaign and was promised a high ranking government office.


The 1932 Democratic Convention was the longest in the party’s history, exceeding the length of even the 1924 Convention. While many of the remaining holdouts at the convention, including Clarence Dill, James Byrnes, and most of Tammany, agreed to support Hearst; there were significant exceptions. Roosevelt and Smith refused to endorse Hearst, and Newton Baker’s supporters walked out of the Convention. Many delegates, refusing to condone what they recognized to be an inevitable Hearst victory, either abstained or voted for the long deceased George Washington as a protest vote. Newton Baker, a staunch internationalist and last remaining holdout against Hearst, eventually chose to run for President on the Progressive Party ticket. Seeking to reach dissident Republicans, he named Herbert Hoover’s opponent in the Republican primaries, Senator Joseph France, as his running mate. Despite the name of the party, Baker did not run on a particularly left-wing platform; instead espousing internationalism and good government for the “respectable set”. The vast bulk of the Democratic Party base remained with Hearst, including the Western Progressives. Hearst and his alliance of demagogues had won control over the Democratic Party.
 
Hail to the Chief- The Acceptance Speech of William Randolph Hearst



“No people ever recognize their dictator in advance. He never stands for election on the platform of dictatorship. He always represents himself as the instrument — the Incorporated National Will. … When our dictator turns up you can depend on it that he will be one of the boys, and he will stand for everything traditionally American. And nobody will ever say "Heil" to him, nor will they call him "Führer" or "Duce." But they will greet him with one great big, universal, democratic, sheeplike bleat of "O.K., Chief! Fix it like you wanna, Chief! Oh Kaaaay!"”- Dorothy Thompson



“Why, there's no country in the world that can get more hysterical--yes, or more obsequious!--than America. Look how Huey Long became absolute monarch over Louisiana, and how the Right Honorable Mr. Senator Berzelius Windrip owns his State. Listen to Bishop Prang and Father Coughlin on the radio--divine oracles, to millions. Remember how casually most Americans have accepted Tammany grafting and Chicago gangs and the crookedness of so many of President Harding's appointees? Could Hitler's bunch, or Windrip's, be worse? Remember the Ku Klux Klan? Remember our war hysteria, when we called sauerkraut 'Liberty cabbage' and somebody actually proposed calling German measles 'Liberty measles'? And wartime censorship of honest papers? Bad as Russia! Remember our kissing the--well, the feet of Billy Sunday, the million-dollar evangelist, and of Aimée McPherson, who swam from the Pacific Ocean clear into the Arizona desert and got away with it? Remember Voliva and Mother Eddy? . . . Remember our Red scares and our Catholic scares, when all well-informed people knew that the O.G.P.U. were hiding out in Oskaloosa, and the Republicans campaigning against Al Smith told the Carolina mountaineers that if Al won the Pope would illegitimatize their children? Remember Tom Heflin and Tom Dixon? Remember when the hick legislators in certain states, in obedience to William Jennings Bryan, who learned his biology from his pious old grandma, set up shop as scientific experts and made the whole world laugh itself sick by forbidding the teaching of evolution? . . . Remember the Kentucky night-riders? Remember how trainloads of people have gone to enjoy lynchings? Not happen here? Prohibition--shooting down people just because they might be transporting liquor--no, that couldn't happen in America! Why, where in all history has there ever been a people so ripe for a dictatorship as ours!” -Sinclair Lewis (It Can’t Happen Here)


“Whenever you hear a prominent American called a Fascist, you can usually make up your mind that the man is simply a LOYAL CITIZEN WHO STANDS FOR AMERICANISM.”- William Randolph Hearst


Following the final rendition of “You’re a Grand Old Flag”, the Convention band began to play “Hail to the Chief” as Hearst, with his wife Millicent at his side and surrounded by his children, mounted the stage to raucous applause. He grasped the hand of his running mate Senator Lewis, who quickly sat down and began stroking his whiskers.


“Chairman Shouse, my friends in the Democratic Party, and my fellow Americans:


I must thank for your dedication to both party and country. To choose the leader of the greatest country in the world is an awesome responsibility we must take with the utmost seriousness. It is better we undergo the process with great method and care than to hastily give away the nomination. The stakes of this election are high; and I recognize your patience is fraught; but to decide things with deliberation is part of the American tradition. But not all of our traditions have served us so well. There has been a long tendency by the Hamiltonians in our government to submit before the rule of international bankers and shut themselves off from the common people the government was created to serve. I am not a false and haughty politician who deems his fellow Americans his inferiors; I am a man of the people, for the people. Thus I have arrived to personally accept your offer of nomination; rather than falsely profess ignorance and removal from the people’s desires. Let it also be symbolic that in so doing I broke traditions. Let it be from now on the task of our Party to break foolish traditions. We will break foolish traditions and leave it to the Republican leadership, far more skilled in that art, to break promises. This foolish gentility and weakness has broken the fabric of our democracy and left our country on the brink of ruin.


Our country faces a moment of crisis unparalleled since the War Between the States. A cabal of foreign powers, international bankers, and Republicans has laid waste to the Republic. The wicked and irresponsible actions of the criminals on Wall Street have sabotaged our economy and left millions of hard-working Americans jobless, homeless, and starved. A European pricing cabal has imposed harsh tariffs; stealing the profits from American businesses. Did we not fight a revolution to free ourselves from the tyranny of British tariffs? The failures and stupidity of the Republican leadership has undermined our national sovereignty and freedom. But it is not only the British who attack our freedoms. Bolsheviks plot to destroy our constitution and impose anarchy. This anarchy would see the breeding of Negroes and Aryans, leading to the end of America as we know it. Mongoloid immigrants take our jobs and murder our people. The Bolshevik regime in Mexico, headed by the dastardly communist Plutarcho Calles, further plots to destroy our national borders and racial purity; they seek to return the frontier to the control of violent, inferior barbarians. First, America was drawn into a foreign war by powers seeking to destroy the United States as an independent nation. Then, the international bankers by some fiendish machinations robbed from us the money we had rightfully earned. The final stage in this dastardly scheme is to force miscegenation and destroy the American race. Aryan supremacy is the bedrock of our society- we can’t have a country without borders and a national race! If white supremacy falls, so does our country. For nearly all of history America has been the land of boundless opportunity, but now our American Dream is dying.


The time has come to take our country back. We have a country run for the interests of the wealthy, the British, the French, the Negroes, the Mexicans, the Jews, the Chinamen, the Indians, the Russians- for all except the ordinary Americans. I say- TO HELL WITH ALL THESE SILLY FOREIGNERS! The time has come to put AMERICA FIRST!


There are two ways of viewing the Government's duty in matters affecting economic and social life. The first sees to it that a favored few are helped and hopes that some of their prosperity will leak through, sift through, to labor, to the farmer, to the small business man. That theory belongs to the party of Toryism, and I had hoped that most of the Tories left this country in 1776. But it is not and never will be the theory of the Democratic Party. This is no time for fear, for reaction or for timidity. Here and now I invite those nominal Republicans who find that their conscience cannot be squared with the groping and the failure of their party leaders to join hands with us; here and now, in equal measure, I warn those nominal Democrats who squint at the future with their faces turned toward the past, and who feel no responsibility to the demands of the new time, that they are out of step with their Party.



Ours must be the party not of some evil or incomprehensible ideology written by some fancy-pants professor; but of America and Americanism. We must reject the false sirens of internationalism and communism. We will reject any attacks on American sovereignty. We must ensure that the European countries, particularly the feminine French, pay the debts owed to us from the Great War. We must refuse any cooperation with the League of Nations or participate in the World Court. We must reject the demands of any foreign government upon our country. If necessary; we will meet these threats with force; though our commitment to peace shall keep us from any foreign entanglements.


Once we again declare our independence from the tyranny of foreigners; we can begin the work of restoring our national greatness. The heart of our democracy is rooted in the American people: our party was founded as the party of the people, and today we begin the process of returning power to the people. There is no need to recount how the policies of the Republicans have birthed this Depression. Rather, I shall describe to you a bold and original plan to save our country.


In a radio broadcast last year, I laid forth a plan to revive our country; which our foolish Hack president rejected. The essence of the plan is a five-billion-dollar loan. This loan shall be spent on internal improvements, infrastructure, and other manners of business. Public works will be constructed, and the empty and broken farms of the Mississippi will be cleared. We shall have a national land management policy. My plan is simple and will create millions upon millions of jobs. The hypocritical prudes of the established set will no doubt bemoan that my plan will lead to bankruptcy. Just the opposite, I say! My plan will RAISE THE WAGES of millions of Americans and thus prevent any need for a raise in taxation. The growth in wages will result in increased expenditures on goods; and will grow our economy. This trickle up effect will allow our government to pay our debts and restore greatness. The reckless and ruinous spending of the Republicans shall be replaced with low taxes and fiscal responsibility; for government in the hands of the people is wiser than that of the egghead set. It is not the Rockefellers and Rothschilds, but the ordinary workingmen who will save our country. I thus pledge myself to the service of Labor; for the common man has long known I am his friend against the Big Trusts and Banks.


But do not think for a moment that my plan will undermine our tradition of rugged individualism. We will spend nothing on the lazy or the parasites; but we shall spend to give the workingman freedom and control over his own life again. We will spend millions on employment, but none for the dole. We shall find every American a job; and those unwilling to work should get out of the country. Furthermore, I promise these jobs will be delivered only to the deserving: I will stipulate that these five billion dollars will go only to those who employ REAL AMERICANS.


We shall relieve the farmers of this nation from the faulty mortgages that are driving our nation to bankruptcy. We shall the rid the country of the violent gangsters, mafioso and horrendous criminals who corrupt our values and murder our children. It is the overwhelming sentiment of this Party that the 18th Amendment be repealed, and that control of liquor be returned to the state governments. This is also my sentiment; but this does not mean we shall relent an inch against the forces of moral impurity. To defeat the internal enemies of the American people: the gangsters, communists, and other traitors; I propose the creation of a NATIONAL POLICE FORCE to restore LAW AND ORDER. Never again shall the people be robbed by crooks in the street or crooks in the halls of congress. The freedom of the days of Jefferson and Jackson shall be restored.


The Republican Party has become feeble, inebriated, corrupt, inefficient, and morally bankrupt. The philosophy of the party is Toryism, totally at odds with the foundations of this country as laid out in the Revolution. The dullness and complacency of the Republican leadership has led to a government with no vision, with no sense of purpose; weak in the face of crisis. The road to a glorious and prosperous future is just around the corner, but Hack Hoover and his cronies are too blind to find it. What this country requires is STRONG LEADERSHIP. I have long studied the workings of our government, and presented these findings to the people. My newspapers have allowed the unvarnished truth to be distributed to the people so that they may fully participate in our democracy. Loyal readers will know I have promoted Americanism since the last century; it is time Americanism be restored to the people. For many years, my devotion to Americanism has shaped the direction of this Party and given voice to the masses. Now let me carry Americanism to the White House. I am confident the current crisis can be resolved by restoring the American spirit of our forefathers to Washington; and this spirit will carry us to a tremendous and powerful future. We must all take part in the process of national reconstruction- a nation indivisible, a people united, a president undefeatable, all working together for a common purpose. As I have directed the great and mighty free press of this country, I shall direct this country on the road to prosperity. I am possessed by the will of the people, and I will stop at nothing to see that the people’s will be done! Through nationalist principles, we shall make America great again! America First, now and forever, the motto of our party, of the union!”


The crowd roared rapturously, as the band resumed playing “Hail to the Chief”. “Hail to the Chief!” cried the California delegation. “Hail to the Chief!” The rest of the convention took up the chant.


As the chant died down, a teenage page emerged near the front of the stage. The identity of this page remains lost to history. Some say he was one of Hearst’s newsies; others say he was a lackey of either Cermak, Long, or Garner. Joe Kennedy’s son Jack famously claimed that this boy was in fact himself, sent by his father to arouse the crowd; but there is no evidence to suggest this is true. Despite the similarities of the boy’s actions to those of a certain German political movement; the Democratic Party would claim he was acting in spontaneous fervor and any resemblances to the gestures of a foreign party were completely coincidental. Whoever the boy was and whatever his motives; his actions were soon to be repeated by millions of Americans and were to become one of the defining features of Hearst’s political movement. Stiffly raising his right hand above his head in the Bellamy salute; the boy cried in a high and hysterical voice: “Hail Hearst!”


“Hail Hearst!” cried Huey Long and the Louisiana delegation; their hands raised high.


“Hail Hearst!” cried the Tammany boys and the Ward bosses.


“Hail Hearst!” cried the backwoodsmen of Georgia and the farmers of Iowa.


“Hail Hearst!” cried the businessmen of California, the Irishmen of Boston, the Polish of Chicago, and the cowboys of Texas.


All the Democratic party hacks and squabbling delegates and factions stood united as a single mass, united in a single action. The staid reservation of the party elders was overcome by the rabid followers of demagogues and tricksters, for they knew their day had finally come. The whole Convention had raised their arms in the Bellamy salute; not just to the flag, but to the next president of the United States. Soon, the American people would be unable to distinguish the two, for the president, flag, and country would seemingly merge into a single entity- Hearst was America, and America was Hearst.

Author's Note: The bolded portions of Hearst' speech were taken directly from President Roosevelt's acceptance speech in 1932: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=75174
I have exaggerated some of Hearst's authoritarian and anti-capitalist tendencies for dramatic purposes, but the core of his "America First" ideology is historically accurate. However, he did produce the infamous Gabriel over the White House, involving a President turned dictator. The Bellamy salute, of course, is a time honored American tradition.
dnc1932wiki.PNG
 
Why, there's no country in the world that can get more hysterical--yes, or more obsequious!--than America. Look how Huey Long became absolute monarch over Louisiana, and how the Right Honorable Mr. Senator Berzelius Windrip owns his State.

Why, you clever little....

I need more "It Can't Happen Here" references in my life.
 
March on the White House: Hearst and the Bonus Army


“ It is a little difficult for me to give an exact historic judgement about a man whom I so thoroughly dislike and despise as I do Hearst… He preaches the gospel of envy, hatred and unrest. His actions so far go to show that he is entirely willing to sanction any mob violence if he thinks that for the moment votes are to be gained by so doing… If the circumstances were ripe in America… I should think that Hearst would aspire to play the part of some of the least worthy creatures of the French Revolution… He is the most potent single influence for evil we have in our life.”- Theodore Roosevelt (OTL)


“We can't let this happen. We should march on Washington and stop this travesty!”*


“We should have a revolution in this country!”


“Just thinking to myself right now, we should just cancel the election and just give it to Trump, right? What are we even having it for? What are we having it for? Her policies are so bad.”

*"This Travesty" meaning the re-election of Barack Obama
  • Donald Trump (OTL)

Army Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur fumed as his chauffeur filled his jeep with gas . He had received a telegram from Major Patton reading URGENT COME TO ANACOSTIA NOW, but the telegram had no further details. Intelligence had recently reported that the disorganized army of veterans agitating President Hoover for bonus relief were preparing to cross the Potomac and march on the Capitol itself. MacArthur feared that the Communists within the Army had begun the first stage of the overthrow of the Republic. The Army had to be prepared to act quickly in order to crush the Reds before it was too late. “Drive Now!” MacArthur barked as the chauffeur returned to the driver’s seat.


The Jeep halted at the entrance to the 11th Street Bridge. An endless stream of tanks and soldiers lined the Potomac; their weapons pointed at their former comrades across the river. The traffic guard approached MacArthur’s convoy. Upon seeing the general; he waved for the emergency gate to be removed, allowing the convoy to pass. The ruckus of the Bonus Army grew louder as MacArthur was driven across the bridge. MacArthur and his deputy, George Van Horn Moseley, exited his jeep as the jeep stopped on the Potomac’s southern bank. Patton appeared and quickly approached MacArthur.


“Sir, the situation has become suddenly become politically difficult.”


MacArthur removed his corn cob pipe and blew a smoke ring. “This whole circus is already a political landmine. What else is new?”


“Sir, William Randolph Hearst has arrived in person to agitate the marchers. He- he’s asked to meet with the President at the White House. And he’s planning on bringing all of his friends”- Patton gestured towards the ragged city of tents behind him- “across the Potomac to allegedly petition the President. I’ve already notified the White House, but it seems the marchers are planning action before sundown. I’ve attempted to get Hearst to scatter, but he insists that he will only negotiate with you.”


“ Does Hearst really think he can play the role of Mussolini? Two-bit fascism and pathetic showmanship may work in Europe, but not here.” Moseley ticked as if he were about to speak; but he bit his tongue. “We won’t allow it. Of course we can’t allow anything to happen to Hearst personally- Lord knows I’d get more than an earful from Congress and the Democrats. But Hearst is a businessman- let’s see how much he’s willing to bargain. FALL IN!” The soldiers in MacArthur’s convoy entered formation; their guns glistening in the sun. “Where is Hearst? I’ll meet with him now. MARCH!” MacArthur and his guard followed Patton into the Hooverville to the jeers of the assembled veterans. The soldiers pointed their bayonets towards the marchers, who fell back slightly but continued to taunt the soldiers from a distance.


MacArthur gasped as his unit approached a large crowd. “The Hell?” The scene resembled a county carnival more than an insurgent army. Hundreds lined up around a group of trucks camped in the middle of the Hooverville. Each of the trucks was covered with large HEARST/LEWIS 32’ banners as well as giant portraits of the candidates themselves. The Democratic donkey was also depicted among the banners. Hearst’s food trucks had become an increasingly common sight in America’s most prominent cities. The food trucks had been seen across the whole country, from the hoovervilles of Central Park to the Port of Seattle. The enormous posters of Hearst followed the trucks; and had become nationally ubiquitous. Rarely, however, had the political message of the trucks been so brazen. Adjacent to the truck was a group of chorus girls; whom the veterans seemed eager to interact with. Remarkably, a few Hollywood actresses were among the crowd! MacArthur spotted Marion Davies, Greta Garbo, Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, and Jean Harlow rapidly signing autographs at a folding table.

At the center of the ruckus was, naturally, Hearst himself. Hearst stood aboard a large wagon, large megaphone in hand. On both sides of him were a few men in khaki paramilitary shirts. One of the guards carried an over-sized American flag. Hearst was yelling into a large megaphone as the veterans repeatedly hailed him with the Bellamy Salute. MacArthur found Hearst to be unimpressive in person. The man was plain, overweight, and weak-voiced. MacArthur, however, could not help but admire his enthusiasm. “The American government must be brought in accordance with the wishes of the American people! The government must uphold the promises made to America’s soldiers! The bandits must return to the people what is rightfully theirs! Give the people their bonuses now!”

“Hail Hearst! Hail Hearst!” cried the crowd.

“General MacArthur! Welcome to our celebration!”

“Now Mr. Hearst, as an official of the U.S Army, I take no position on political activity; but you are intruding on an official military zone. Since your new friends seem to enjoy you so much; we’d prefer if you take your party somewhere a little more private- to your personal home or property.”

“My dear general, it will reassure you to learn that my full intent is to assemble with these fine gentlemen in what is soon to be my home- THE WHITE HOUSE!”

“Can’t you wait for half a year more? I’m afraid this gathering must disperse on the grounds of disturbing the peace.”

“That would be a very unjust and foolish decision, General. If Hoover and his corrupt Tories and bankers were to suppress patriotic veterans exercising their right to peaceful assembly; I’d imagine the American people would lose faith in our government altogether. Only the blackest tyrant would threaten the bloody dispersion of his political opponents in the name of upholding his corrupt rule. Such an event would be a second Boston Massacre! I’d hate to see the terrible headlines in the newspapers following such an evil atrocity.”

“Very well, Mr. Hearst. I’ll give you peace- for now. But you and your friends best not get too comfortable.” MacArthur, Moseley, and Patton retreated away from the gathering. “George, you’ve spoken with your man Joe Angelo. Hearst’s opportunism here should be self-evident. What’s going on?”

Patton pointed to Angelo, who stood to the side of Hearst holding an American flag. “Joe and his boys have no illusions regarding Hearst’s personal motives; but they don’t care. Angelo knows Hearst is no saint; but these men are too desperate to be looking for saints. Hearst is their champion, and they’ll follow him to the ends of the earth.”

“May I speak frankly, sir?” asked Moseley. “Even if you disperse this rally, Hearst is likely to be President in a few months. Hoover has no popular support. If you interfere here, you could jeopardize not only your own career, but the Army itself. I don’t like showing such weakness, but our options are limited here.”

“What you are suggesting is mutiny, Moseley.”

“It’s either mutiny now, or mutiny in March. We should tread very carefully here. I have no use for disorder- I don’t think Mr. Hearst recognizes the influence of the communists among these hooligans- but let us not become a pawn of darker forces.”

“Given the political sensitivities of the situation; I’m afraid an order to clear the camp must come from the President himself. I’d prefer an alternative, but we will do our duty regardless.”

MacArthur and Moseley walked back to the Anacostia Bridge and returned to their jeep. Major Eisenhower, who was seated in the second jeep, ordered the convoy to commence. MacArthur’s convoy then drove to the northern side of the Potomac, towards the White House itself. The threat of the Bonus Army had turned Washington into an armed camp. Snipers stood on the roofs of buildings, and units of soldiers marched down the streets. A thousand veterans remained camped in the Federal Triangle; surrounded on all sides by the Army. Parking on the National Mall; General MacArthur and his men marched to the Oval Office.

Hoover, engaged in conversation with D.C Police commissioner Pelham Glassford and several other advisers, eyed the general warily from the Resolute Desk. “Is this a coup?” asked the President, his expression dour and his eyes haggard. “Is there any hope as to Hearst leaving?”

“Hearst is boiling for a fight, Mr. President. If he doesn’t get what he wants; he is ready to provoke a war and milk the profits. Mr. President, we must be resolute in dealing with these anarchists. If disorder were to spread, the whole integrity of the government could come into question. We must act quickly to prevent revolution.”

Glassford shook his head. “A bloodbath would only increase the wrath of the people. Mr. President, I urge you to see reason. The path that General MacArthur proposes would destroy not only your presidency, but democracy itself. Do you want to go down in history as Hoover the butcher?”

“Mr. President,” interjected Secretary of State Henry Stimson, “we have not been effective in dealing with the problem of Mr. Hearst. We have underestimated his ability to gain power within the Democratic Party, and now your administration has tried too hard to appease his newspapers while undermining the long-term strength of the nation. I say to you, there must be no further appeasement of Hearst!”

“Mr. President,” said Attorney General Mitchell, “J. Edgar’s reports show that this so-called Bonus Army is infected with criminals, radicals, and all manner of unsavoury characters. Mr. Hearst’ intention here is clear: he seeks the overthrow of the government and the establishment of a revolutionary junta. Such a threat requires the immediate use of military force. This is like what the Bolsheviks did in Russia. Remember Hearst’s support for Germany and Lenin during the Great War! The White House must not go the way of the Winter Palace.”

“Mr. President,” said Secretary of War Patrick Hurley “it is true we must maintain order and prevent revolution, and thus must maintain a vigilant watch over the Potomac. But to clear Anacostia of the veterans would be most unwise. We risk escalating this situation into a conflict we cannot hope to control. Making a martyr of Hearst will only give fuel to his candidacy. We must proceed with caution.”

“Mr. President,” stated MacArthur “I remain neutral on the question of Mr. Hearst, and you should be free to deal with him diplomatically or otherwise. However, the marchers must somehow be dispersed if you wish to preserve the Republic. See if Hearst can be bought off, and if not, the Army can restore order.”

Hoover stood from the Resolute desk. “Gentlemen, I am clear-eyed as to the dangers presented by Hearst. My personal interactions with the man have been deeply unpleasant. But I am no Czar or Kaiser; and in a republic it is not customary to order the arrest or murder of one’s political opponents. The demands of the veterans are wholly impractical; but their submission to Hearst may make them easier to control than otherwise. Hearst is no Bolshevik, he must be treated as a legitimate representative of the Democratic Party. I must attend to him personally. For myself to visit that miserable gathering in Anacostia would demean the stature of the Presidency. Send word to Mr. Hearst and his entourage that they are welcome to visit the White House. This will not be another Fort Sumter. This is my final and ultimate decision, gentlemen.”

Eisenhower, who had been silently observing the debate, pulled General MacArthur towards the edge of the room. “I know you’d like another option, but there is no room for error here. A political role for the Army in this crisis would backfire immensely; we must remain cautious and adhere to the President’s order. If Hoover wishes to submit to Hearst; it is not your concern. Let me bring this invitation to Hearst and you shall preserve your dignity.”

MacArthur turned and faced Hoover. “We shall do as you command, Mr. President.”


Six hours later, Washington was enveloped in moderate chaos and mayhem. The Army had returned to their barracks, and the Bonus Army had free run of the capital. Scattered rioters attacked government buildings and looted nearby stores. The police arrested the most violent of the rioters; but most of the Bonus Army remained peaceful. The encampments in Anacostia had been abandoned and moved to the National Mall. Thousands of veterans were encamped in front of the White House, vigilantly waiting for the commands of their leader.

Initially, the Secret Service had been willing only to admit Hearst and a dozen of his men to the White House. But the veterans cried folly; it was a disgrace that Hoover remained encased in the Oval Office like a monarch on his throne. The White House belonged not to Hoover but to the people, an earnest Joe Angelo had declared. Hearst assented, and the Secret Service was forced to accommodate more and more marchers until the White House was completely overrun. A hundred or so veterans crowded into the East Room, smoking and drinking as they overturned the upholstery. More men rushed up the Grand Staircase; and others raided the White House Kitchen.

President Hoover, Lou Hoover, Secretary Hurley, and a few Secret Service men stood around the Resolute desk. Hearst and twenty veterans stood on the other side of the desk. Walter Waters, the leader of the Khaki Shirts, was explaining to the President the necessity of immediate bonuses.

“Mr. President, once the Patman Bonus Bill is signed, I promise we shall return to our homes. We have the desire to find employment, but there are no jobs! We are all honest men, we do not seek to become permanently dependent on government money.”

“Women pu yingkai ch’ing t’amen ch’u cheli,” Lou declared to her husband.

Hearst burst into outrage. “This is the sacred center of the United States of America; and before you stand men who have risked their lives in service of this Republic. Speak English! These men deserve better than to hear the tongue of the heathen Chinamen!”

The President remained passive. “This remains a nation of laws and not of men. Congress has not seen it fit to pass the Patman Bill and thus I do not see it fit to enact it.”

“Herbert,” declared Hearst “I’m afraid if you’re unwilling to surrender to the will of the people; then we must relieve you of the White House. Since this is a nation of laws, you remain the President until I defeat you in November. But you are truly the most inferior and useless President I have ever met; and thus you are not fit to possess this place. Mr. Waters and his friends shall remain here until you submit to their demands, or until I return to take my rightful destiny.” The Khaki Shirts pulled out their revolvers. “Rest assured, there will be no harm done to you or your wife, but I’m afraid you must leave now.”

Hoover sighed. “And what of the normal function of government?”

“No further action will be taken at this point. We shall not pressure Congress, and your presidential campaign will continue unhindered. I’ll see to it that your personal belongings are returned to you undamaged. The republic remains yours, Mr. Hoover, if you can keep it.”

Hoover stared emptily into space for what seemed to be an eon. Haltingly and reluctantly, he turned away from the Resolute Desk and walked out of the room. “Women hsuyao ch’u,” he told his wife. Mrs. Hoover, Hurley, and the Secret Service walked out of the Office, towards a motorcade waiting outside. They would never return to the White House.

Waters and Hearst walked to the White House Ellipse, where the Bonus Army awaited. “The White House is ours, boys!” declared Waters as hundreds of Khaki Shirts streamed across the Ellipse. “Hail Hearst!” the Bonus Army, the salute gradually growing louder. “Hail Hearst!”

William Randolph Hearst gave a light chuckle. “I have many homes, but I finally have the house I’ve always wanted. If only the Professor and the Rough Rider could see me now. Can you hear me down there? You’ve been beat.” Hearst grinned as the Khaki Shirts marched towards the White House.


The 1932 General Election Campaign


The ignominious expulsion of Herbert Hoover from the White House saw the bottom drop out from the President’s support. While widely unpopular throughout most of the country; Hoover had won renomination on the basis he would maintain a sound, modern government and stem the tide of radicalism. Given that the President could no longer appear openly in the capital; the main rationale for a Hoover re-election had been obliterated. Republican politicians abandoned Hoover by the droves, many of them endorsing the Baker/France ticket. A few Republicans like Hiram Johnson and Louis T. McFadden even endorsed Hearst. Among the most conservative Republicans; talk began of a military coup led by Douglas MacArthur in order to prevent the country from falling into the hands of populists. MacArthur was forced to publicly dismiss these rumors; but the damage to Hoover’s reputation was done. The Secretary of State and the Attorney General resigned in disgust against Hoover’s weakness. There was talk of stripping Hoover of the nomination, but these efforts were refuted by RNC Chair Everett Sanders. Some Republicans recognized the threat posed by Hearst, and sought to mobilize the nation against the threat of dictatorship but the demoralized and divided Republican Party lacked enthusiasm and a message other than anti-Hearstism. Congress refused to negotiate with the Bonus Army, and thus the Khaki Shirts remained encamped in the White House as an uneasy peace ruled Washington. The Khaki Shirts would ultimately withdraw from Washington after Election Day; but the intimidation had coerced the government to Hearst’s will. By the end of his term, Hoover was President in Name Only.


Newton Baker received the endorsements of several high profile politicians; and gained the support of moderates from both parties. Some conservative papers promoted him as an alternative to both Hoover and Hearst. Baker’s supporters tended to be relatively wealthy, however, and the Hearst papers portrayed him as a dupe for Wall Street sent to divide the Democratic Party and re-elect Hoover. The vast majority of rank and file Democrats thus fell behind Hearst. Not all Democrats liked Hearst; but the dislike for Hoover and Washington politicians was so strong there were few defections. Norman Thomas, the Socialist candidate for President attacked Hearst as a capitalist reactionary and foe of the working class. Thomas sought to peel off votes from the left-wing of the Democratic Party. Thomas was able to make inroads among Jewish voters; but was unable to emerge as a major candidate. Hearst was seen as the only hope to save the country.

Despite the election being a foregone conclusion, William Randolph Hearst continued to actively campaign. The enormous spectacle of his entourage helped generate unprecedented excitement and frenzy. Hearst Metrotone News promoted his campaign in movie theaters. Barnstormers transported Hearst to numerous campaign stops; carrying his banners through the air. Thousands of Hearst food trucks traversed the country; seeking to improve Hearst’s support among the working class. Walter Waters’ Khaki Shirt paramilitary group, formally known as the Patriot’s Legion, was chartered as a national organization; and the Democratic Party opened hundreds of Khaki Shirt chapters across the country. The organization was covered extensively by the Hearst papers. The Khaki Shirts heavily recruited among the poor, veterans, and the unemployed; but Americans of all classes and creeds were found among them. The Khaki Shirts were derided by rich Republicans as proletarian thugs; but this only served to increase their popularity among the general population. By the end of 1932, hundreds of thousands had joined the Khaki Shirts. The Khaki Shirts swore an oath to the United States, the American people, and William Randolph Hearst himself. The Khaki Shirts also operated a youth wing; and engaged in vigilante violence against Blacks, Jews, Mexicans, Asians, and vocal opponents of Hearst. (Curiously, there was a small but committed number of Jewish Khaki Shirts known as the Haym Salomon Legion.) Republican clubs were openly attacked and dismantled by the Khaki Shirts. The Patriot’s Legion was considered to be the spiritual successor of the Ku Klux Klan, in that it was the uniformed paramilitary wing of the Democratic Party. Hiram Wesley Evans spoke favorably of the Khaki Shirts; and many former or current Klan members were affiliated with the organization. This was despite the fact that the Khaki Shirts had numerous Catholic chapters, and were boosted daily by Father Coughlin’s radio show.

African-Americans were especially targeted by Hearst and his supporters. After the Supreme Court decision Powell vs Alabama overturned the executions of the Scottsboro Boys; Hearst took out advertisements in southern newspapers which read BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY! BRING BACK THE POLICE! The nine Scottsboro Boys had previously been sentenced to death for allegedly raping two white woman. Hearst denounced the actions of the Supreme Court and called for “the delivery of JUSTICE.” His supporters got the message. On October 14th, a few days after the verdict of Powell vs Alabama was announced; a lynch mob attacked the jail at which the Scottsboro Boys were being held; and killed all of them. The role of Hearst in this mass lynching is debated, but it is likely the Scottsboro Massacre had his tacit support. Civic African-American organizations like the NAACP were horrified by Hearst’s open racism; and lobbied openly for Hoover’s re-election. Hearst insisted he was only opposed to race mixing and was not prejudiced against African-Americans. At the same time, he denounced the NAACP as communist. Curiously, Hearst had some African-American supporters in the north. The anti-Semitic cleric Sufi Abdul Hamid, for instance, headed the Harlem Hearst for President club. Some working class African-Americans backed Hearst out of economic desperation, to the horror of middle-class African-Americans. The most openly heretical was Marcus Garvey and his organization UNIA. Garvey from his exile in Jamaica freely admitted that Hearst was a complete bigot; but stated he preferred an honest bigot to a hypocrite. “To me, William Randolph Hearst is the most experienced, greatest intellect in this country. To me, there is no statesman like William Randolph Hearst. He loves his race. He thinks of nothing but his race… We of the UNIA have been telling you for years that this is going to be a white man’s country, sooner or later and that the best thing we could possibly do is to find a black man’s country as soon as possible.” Garvey backed Hearst under the hope that Hearst would support Black repatriation to Africa; and thus ensure a homeland for African-Americans. Members of UNIA openly campaigned for Hearst despite being derided as black Klansmen by W.E.B Dubois.

Hearst continued to hold frequent rallies across the country which had enormously high attendance. Hearst largely stuck to his old bromides: the corruption of Wall Street and Washington, his “Buy American” campaign, the evils of foreigners and Bolshevism, white supremacy, his 5 billion dollar relief plan, and his own skill as a businessman.The political rallies doubled as family entertainment; Vaudeville and Hollywood actors (particularly from MGM),marching bands, chorus girls, barnstormers, athletes and circus acrobats gave performances as Hearst’s warm-up act. Ted Healy, Will Rogers, and Charles Lindbergh were among the most popular acts. Mass picnics were held at the Hearst rallies, served by the Hearst food trucks and promoted by the Hearst papers. F. Champion Junior, who had managed the early Hearst for President Clubs, was key in promoting the rallies. The excitement of Hearst’s presidential campaign saw a large increase in sales for his newspapers; which allowed him to run an increasingly expensive and elaborate campaign. Hearst had always been a lavish spender; and his campaign allowed him to indulge this hobby. His campaign manager Joseph Kennedy oversaw the whole operation, planning rallies and negotiating with donors, politicians and Khaki Shirts. Kennedy professionalized Hearst’s previously haphazard campaign, and ultimately propelled him to victory. Kennedy’s influence over Hearst was so strong that some called him Hearst’s Rasputin.

Other than Hearst himself, the gossip columnist Louella Parsons became the public face of the campaign. Parsons had first entered the campaign when she helped Hearst uncover Franklin Roosevelt’s adultery; and she launched a public relations campaign during the general election. Parsons was attacked by respectable Republicans as a deceitful and manipulative hack. To ordinary Americans, Parsons showed Hearst’s human side, and was known as his explainer in chief. Her radio show and column popularized Hearst and helped connect him to the common people. Parsons became the ambassador of Hearst’ media empire to the rest of the country. The Chicago Tribune called her the real First Lady, as Millicent Hearst’s poor relation with her husband left her with a mostly perfunctory role in the campaign. Parsons became the undisputed queen of the media.

By the final weeks of the campaign, the Republicans had all but given up on Hoover, and were desperately trying to save their remaining seats on the congressional and state level. It was clear that the Democrats would overwhelmingly sweep Congress, and many Republicans sought to distance themselves from the national party. This disorganization only accelerated the inevitable Democratic landslide. Some Democratic congressmen resisted Hearst, and were thus replaced by the party with Hearst loyalists. After the chaos resulting from the Bonus Army and the formation of the Khaki Shirts; the Hearst campaign had a calm assurance of victory.

This calm was shattered on October 21st, 1932. On this date, Hearst was holding a rally at Madison Square Gardens. Hearst had finished giving a speech on his “Buy American, Hire American” campaign, which promoted economic nationalism as a response to the Great Depression. The Khaki Shirts were in attendance, and the atmosphere was jovial. While Hearst shook hands with his supporters; he was approached by a twenty year old Jewish college student, Leo Cherne. Cherne pulled a revolver on Hearst, firing three shots. One of the shots lightly grazed Hearst’s jacket, but the other two hit and killed a fifteen year old girl standing next to Hearst. While Hearst was evacuated from the arena; the crowd rapidly turned on Cherne, who was beaten to death almost beyond recognition. The New York Police Department identified his corpse and investigated the attempted assassination. Interviews with his acquaintances in the Bronx revealed that Cherne was a leftist who viewed Hearst as the apocalyptic harbinger of fascism, dictatorship, and doom for the Jewish people. Cherne’s identity was revealed by the New York Journal American, who claimed without evidence that Cherne was acting on the orders of the Judeo-Bolshevik conspiracy. The innuendo ultimately resulted in the first American pogrom. The New York Khaki Shirts embarked on a campaign of arson and sabotage against New York’s Jewish community. Hundreds of Jewish businesses, homes, and synagogues were burned. Seven Jews were killed and dozens were injured. Furthermore, the Khaki Shirts stationed themselves at polling stations in Jewish neighborhoods on Election Day, intimidating them to vote for Hearst. Governor Roosevelt attempted to intervene but was stalled by Tammany Hall and the NYPD, who maintained an uneasy alliance with Hearst and the Khaki Shirts. Hearst became increasingly paranoid as a result of the event; seeing enemies everywhere.

The Hearst campaign would ultimately win every state except Vermont and Maine on Election Day, as Democrats and Demagogues gained complete control over the country. Among the beneficiaries of the Hearst wave was Dr. John Brinkley, who defeated Alf Landon to become Governor of Kansas. William Gibbs McAdoo, Patrick McCarran, and six other democrats defeated incumbent Republicans and won election to the Senate. Other victorious senator-elects who aligned with Hearst included Bennett Champ Clark and Robert Rice Reynolds. The establishment candidates were completely defeated. Hearst had won complete control over the country.

In the final days of the Hoover Administration, the Republicans came up with increasingly desperate schemes to stop Hearst from taking office. While Hoover himself grudgingly conceded the Presidency to Hearst (he had already given Hearst de facto control over the government when the Bonus Army seized the White House), some prominent Republican activists launched a campaign for the Electoral College to elect Newton Baker as a compromise candidate. The Democratic electors were loyal party men to the last, and thus ignored the direct-mail campaign funded by Republican donors. In an attempt to undermine Hearst’s presidency, rumors were spread that Hearst, in contrast to his nationalist image, was in the employ of foreign powers. Former Attorney General William Dewitt Mitchell accused Hearst of being aligned with the Bolsheviks. However, the Republicans ultimately settled on Germany as Hearst’s alleged benefactor. Retired attorney Merton Lewis, who had tangled with Hearst during the Great War, was dredged up to make claims that Hearst had been in the employment of the German government for years. This conspiracy theory was widely believed during the Great War, when Hearst took an isolationist, pro-German editorial line in his newspapers. Many Republicans pointed out that Hearst seemed to criticize every country except Germany, about which he was unusually effusive. By this point, many observers had pointed out the similarities between Hearst and Adolf Hitler, the leader of the German National Socialist Party who was appointed Chancellor in January of 1933. The American Communist Party had been the first to disseminate the theory that Hearst, Hitler, and Mussolini were part of a broader Fascist Axis seeking to co-opt the working class and establish a permanent dictatorship. A variant of this theory was believed to have motivated Leo Cherne. Ironically, this Communist conspiracy theory was taken up by orthodox Republicans. Both Hearst and Hitler denounced the Jews, British, and French, and used paramilitary forces to gain power. The conceit among Democrats to greet Hearst with the Bellamy Salute was supposed to have been copied from the Nazi and Fascist salutes. While Hearst spoke of building favorable relations with the new German government; he furiously denounced allegation that he was an agent of the Nazi Party. “I am unquestionably, undeniably one hundred percent a full-blooded All-American whose creed is America First. The allegation I am a puppet for foreign powers is utterly humbug. There’s no puppet- it is you Republicans who are the puppets, and for foreign cabals far more dangerous than Herr Hitler.” Hypocritically, Hearst denounced the rumors as “vile slander, reactionary propaganda, fake news, completely disreputable nonsense.” Anonymous pamphlets circulated in Washington demanding a military coup, forcing MacArthur to again reiterate he had no intentions of a coup and would submit to the authority of the President. These efforts, however, were confined to a few fringe activists. For the majority of Americans, hope for a new age had arrived.
 
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March on the White House: Hearst and the Bonus Army
Ironically, this Communist conspiracy theory was taken up by orthodox Republicans. Both Hearst and Hitler denounced the Jews, British, and French, and used paramilitary forces to gain power. The conceit among Democrats to greet Hearst with the Bellamy Salute was supposed to have been copied from the Nazi and Fascist salutes. While Hearst spoke of building favorable relations with the new German government; he furiously denounced allegation that he was an agent of the Nazi Party. “I am unquestionably, undeniably one hundred percent a full-blooded All-American whose creed is America First. The allegation I am a puppet for foreign powers is utterly humbug. There’s no puppet- it is you Republicans who are the puppets, and for foreign cabals far more dangerous than Herr Hitler.” Hypocritically, Hearst denounced the rumors as “vile slander, reactionary propaganda, fake news, completely disreputable nonsense.” Anonymous pamphlets circulated in Washington demanding a military coup, forcing MacArthur to again reiterate he had no intentions of a coup and would submit to the authority of the President. These efforts, however, were confined to a few fringe activists. For the majority of Americans, hope for a new age had arrived.

I hope I'm not reading this right but did Hearst and his goons just kick Hoover out the White House:confused:? That's priceless, the man who failed to fix the depression is now homeless.

I peeped the way conspirators are saying Hearst is being controlled by the Axis Powers just like in real life with Trump and the Russia ties. Would Hearst and Hitler be like Trump and Putin? I like the way this TL is slightly comparable to OTL but I feel Hearst can get away with more things especially with the Great Depression and it being the 1940s.
 
Hearst's initial focus is on rebuilding America's domestic sphere; with some overtures to the Fascist powers. As to international affairs, I don't want to give away too many spoilers.
Knowing Hearts would be 'leave europe burns and leave the asian kill each other' as long neither side do somethign stupid hearst will just care what they can buy from america in hard currency.
 

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