Crash of 1928 occurs a year early

[Rob]

Al Smith announces that massive government works are needed to cure this depression.

Smith ran on a pro-business, small government platform. He hated the New Deal when FDR enacted it, and he became a leading member of the conservative Liberty League.

It should be noted that Smith was an advocate of progressive legislation, but he felt it should be up to the states. He would not have supported a massive federal program, no matter what the circumstances.

[Rob]

FDR turned out to be far more liberal than his 1932 election platform.

Yes, but Smith actually believed in the principles of limited government, as proven by his reaction to the New Deal.

[Rob]

A crash before earlier wouldn't really mean Hoover would lose. What truly caused Hoover the election was the Bonus March disaster. If you think that would have happened under Coolidge then this might make sense but I doubt it.

No. He would have lost without the Bonus March, and by a margin almost as big. That incident may have convinced a few fence-sitters to vote for FDR, but mostly it was just another reason for the majority to vote against Hoover.