It's the Brian Larry Show on WNYC. Good morning again, everyone. Now we continue our WNYC

Centennial series, 100 years of 100 things. We're up to Thing Number 13, and today, as the Democratic Convention opens in Chicago,

it's 100 years of Democratic presidential candidates.

And we have the perfect guest for this, Michael Kazin, Professor of History at Georgetown,

editor emeritus of Dissent Magazine, whose most recent book is called What It Took to Win

a History of the Democratic Party, published in 2022.

Now, in keeping with the theme of the book, we've pulled archive clips of every Democratic

presidential candidate who did actually win the election from the past hundred years.

The first was FDR in 1932.

Here's a clip from his acceptance speech at the 1932 Democratic Convention,

in which he is promising to repeal the 18th Amendment,

that is, repeal prohibition.

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 tradition and leave it to the Republican leadership far more skilled

in that art to break promises.

This convention wants repeal.

Your candidate wants to appeal. And I am confident that the United States of America wants repeal.

Let's say to you now that from this date on, the 18th Amendment is doomed.

I pledge myself to a new deal for the American people.

Give me your help not to win boats alone,

but to win in this crusade to restore America to its own people.

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