S8 Ep1119: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Campaign Climax Guest: David Pietrusza Book Title: Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR's 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal The 1936 campaign saw the emergence of Eleanor Roosevelt as a political star. While Republicans
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 12 July 2026
⏱️ 16 minutes
🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Eleanor Roosevelt and the Campaign Climax Guest: David Pietrusza Book Title: Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR's 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal The 1936 campaign saw the emergence of Eleanor Roosevelt as a political star. While Republicans hid Landon's wife and some Democrats feared Eleanor was "too much" for the public, she became an indispensable asset on the campaign trail. She was particularly vital in securing the African-American vote in Northern cities. While the President refused to support an anti-lynching law for fear of alienating Southern Democrats, Eleanor campaigned for it, effectively allowing the administration to "cover the bases" separately. This outreach was crucial, as African-Americans were the hardest-hit demographic and relied heavily on New Deal relief programs. The campaign reached a fever pitch in October 1936. Despite early polls showing Landon leading, the momentum swung heavily toward Roosevelt by late summer. At a massive rally at Madison Square Garden on Halloween night, Rooseveltdelivered a speech that "would peel paint today," declaring of the "economic royalists" that "I welcome their hatred." The speech was a masterpiece of class warfare; observers noted that the violence and "naked demagoguery" of his delivery were even more powerful than the written words. This aggressive stance countered the Republican argument that the public was tired of the New Deal. Despite an unemployment rate still hovering at 13.9%, Roosevelt's ability to frame himself as the protector of the working class against oppressive wealthy interests solidified his lead heading into election day. (7)
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Every time you buy crypto, sell crypto, swap crypto, you lose money to these. |
| 0:06.0 | Not with IG. Now you can buy, sell and swap Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana, commission-free, |
| 0:12.0 | because we believe your money belongs in your portfolio, not in someone else's pocket. |
| 0:16.0 | Download the IG app and invest with a platform that backs you. |
| 0:19.0 | IG, trade, invest, progress. |
| 0:22.5 | IG charges zero commission. |
| 0:23.8 | Don't invest unless you're prepared to lose all the money you invest. |
| 0:25.9 | This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. |
| 0:34.9 | I'm John Batchel with David Petrusia, the historian and author of the new book, Roosevelt Sweeps Nation. |
| 0:41.0 | It's campaign time. |
| 0:43.1 | Alf Landon and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the nominees of the major parties. |
| 0:47.8 | And we begin with the Lennon campaign because there's not a great deal to say except for why there isn't a great deal to say. |
| 0:53.4 | David, |
| 1:00.5 | Landon does not attend the convention that nominates him. What happens afterwards to remember? |
| 1:07.8 | Thank you. Well, he makes up for not being there by not being there, by going on vacation for two weeks at a Ritzie Dood Ranch essentially in Colorado, and then not doing |
| 1:15.5 | anything for another few weeks while his campaign staff goes out there, but he doesn't. |
| 1:21.2 | But when he finally does go out there, he's more energetic. |
| 1:26.3 | He's still a bad speaker, but he gives a series of speeches |
| 1:30.6 | at the end of the campaign or towards the end on the tariffs, on agriculture, and most horribly |
| 1:38.6 | on social security. Already the third rail of American politics and proceeds to just lose chunk after chunk of electoral |
| 1:49.5 | support. We should mention there are polling results from this summer of 1936 that are striking. |
| 1:58.8 | I have from your reporting, David, in July of 1936, the Gallup poll, |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 17 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from John Batchelor, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of John Batchelor and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.