In 1936, the United States was still deep in the throes of the Great Depression. The majority of Americans still blamed former President Herbert Hoover for the mess they were in, but FDR’s New Deal hadn’t done much, and in some cases, the economic climate was just as bad, if not worse. Republicans believed they had a chance to defeat Roosevelt and made Alf Landon, Governor of Kansas, the party’s presidential standard bearer.
In choosing a running mate, Landon’s first choice was New Hampshire Governor Styles Bridges. In a weird quirk, the New Hampshire Governor missed out on forever being attached to a Presidential ticket, merely due to his surname. When Democrats got wind of the prospective ticket, they began using the slogan, “Landon Brydges Falling Down!”
The Brydges idea was quickly dismissed, and Frank Knox, a Chicago newspaper publisher, agreed to be Landon’s running mate. On Election Day, Landon Knox only won two states, Maine and Vermont. Neither man won their home state. It was the most significant lopsided Presidential victory since 1820 (for more information on that election, research “The Era of Good Feelings).
