Part 7: Election Day
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Fiorello La Guardia. Elected as Lieutenant Governor of New York on a ticket with Roosevelt as part of a deal cut between the Republican and Progressive Parties, he would prove crucial in swinging new York City for the coalition
November 5th, 1936.
Election day.
And it promised to be a volatile one
Everyone knew what was at stake, and in the final days, a few key events had shaped the election. The attempt on Olson's life on November 2nd had effectively locked down sympathy votes, much to the frustration of Long and Reed, who had been banking on winning at least a few western states. Of course, Garner also went all out in Texas, criss-crossing the state for weeks on end to prevent a Long victory there, which had the potential to sway the entire election.
The day before the election, each candidate made their final arguments. Reed argued that the system needed to be smashed and rebuilt in order for the workers of the country to be heard. Long railed on about the Share Our Wealth programs and that they were the only defence against syndicalism the country had. Olson meanwhile continued calling for rationality and calmness, while at the same time having to suppress much of his own beliefs in order to maintain the coalition.
The whole world watched with interest as the three candidates set themselves up next to wireless sets to await the results. Reed was confident of taking the industrial midwest, while Long was his usual bombastic self about the southeast, and Olson was fairly secure in his belief that they would take the west. What all three knew, however (despite the fact that Long refused to acknowledge it) was that only Olson or Reed had a chance of winning the election, and that it would be New York, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey, and to a lesser extent New England, that would swing the election. Accordingly, both campaigns converged their resources and best campaigners on it in the final days.
November 4th was marked by Roosevelt giving his usual fiery speech that had rallied his supporters twice over, and the Progressive Lieutenant Governor Fiorello LaGuardia likewise threaded through New York City to counter the campaigning of Mayor Norman Thomas, who was known to be lukewarm on Reed.
As the fateful day dawned, Reed issued a stand-down order to all the Red Guards, and Long did the same to the Minutemen and Pelley's Silvershirts. Having the militias interfere with the election would give Hoover all the justification he needed to cancel the election and hand control over to Macarthur. As it was, Hoover had contacted many of the western and New England governors to make sure they were ready to raise their National Guard forces in the event that either Reed or Long resorted to force in the aftermath of the election.
It was due to this uncharacteristic non-interference from both the radicals that the day seemed to go off without a hitch.
Reed was asleep by 11. His ill health had begun to take its toll and he was unable to stay awake until the result would be known. Butler went to sleep not long after. Olson was asleep by 12:30, Long by 1. Roosevelt and Lindbergh were both sleeping by 2. All candidates had express instructions to be woken as soon as a winner was announced.
At 2:37 AM Eastern Standard Time, it was made official, and the candidates were woken up.
(image: user created)
Gov. Floyd Olson (NU-MN)/Gov. Quentin Roosevelt (NU-NY): 275 Electoral VotesSen. John Reed (S-NY)/ Gen. Smedley Butler (S-PA): 144 Electoral VotesGov. Huey Long (AFU-LA)/Mr Charles Lindbergh (AFU-MI): 112 Electoral Votes
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