S8 Ep1119: The 1936 Landslide and Political Realignment Guest: David Pietrusza Book Title: Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR's 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal Election night 1936 at Hyde Park began with nervous anticipation, as many — including

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John Batchelor

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🗓️ 12 July 2026

⏱️ 5 minutes

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Summary

The 1936 Landslide and Political Realignment Guest: David Pietrusza Book Title: Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR's 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal Election night 1936 at Hyde Park began with nervous anticipation, as many — including the Literary Digest — still expected a close race. However, early returns from New Haven, Connecticut, showing a 15,000-vote victory for Roosevelt, signaled an impending "swamping" of the Electoral College. Roosevelt himself was shocked by the margins, initially believing the teletype machines were being read incorrectly. The final result was a massive landslide: Roosevelt carried 46 out of 48 states, losing only Maine and Vermont. The victory brought massive coattails, resulting in 74 Democratic Senators and 334 Democratic House members. This election marked the permanent realignment of American politics, creating the modern Democratic coalition. Roosevelt carried 104 of the nation's 106 largest cities, losing only Pasadena and Syracuse. This shift was driven largely by the children of immigrants who had come of age in the 1930s and "flopped down" for Roosevelt. The Literary Digest poll, which had been right for decades, was famously humiliated, having failed to account for the shifting demographics of the electorate. Roosevelt's victory was more than a mandate; it was a total triumph of the liberal ideal and the big-city machine. The President returned to Hyde Park not just as a reelected leader, but as the architect of a new political era that would dominate the American landscape for decades to come. (8)
1936

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0:35.0	I'm John Batchel with David Patricia. Great fun.
0:38.3	David Patricia's book is great fun because at the time it was tragedy upon tragedy.
0:43.2	People were struggling to have confidence each day that there would be a tomorrow.
0:48.7	The world of the United States at this time was watching Europe tumble into the catastrophe we know as the
0:57.1	second war, still with us, still scarring mankind.
1:01.6	But at this moment, we come to election night, and David celebrates election night by
1:06.4	taking us to a scene in the Hyde Park scene, the one where Roosevelt always returned to Hyde Park.
1:13.0	It was like he recharged his batteries there.
1:15.9	Eleanor is in a white chiffon gown with an immense red rose.
1:19.9	I'm following in her belt.
1:21.2	I'm following David's reporting.
1:23.2	The reporters are gathered outside.
1:25.0	The teletype machines are chattering away.
1:28.0	David, they still expected for it to be close that late in the night.
1:32.3	Is that correct?
	...

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