Episode Details

The Townsend Plan and the Radio Priest Guest: David Pietrusza Book Title: Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR's 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal Two unconventional figures heavily influenced Roosevelt's 1936 strategy: Dr. Francis Townsend and Father Charles Coughlin. Townsend, a physician, gained a massive following with his plan to provide $200 a month to everyone over 60, provided they retired and spent the money within 30 days. Though Roosevelt initially disliked the idea of "government checks," the political pressure from Townsend Clubs forced his hand. Consequently, Social Security was introduced largely as a reactive measure to neutralize Townsend's momentum. Meanwhile, Father Coughlin, a Canadian-born Roman Catholic priest, became a radio sensation with a voice that rivaled Roosevelt's for intimacy and warmth. Initially a supporter who coined the phrase "Roosevelt or Ruin," Coughlin turned against the President when he felt his influence on monetary policy was ignored. In a surreal meeting arranged by Joseph P. Kennedy at Hyde Park in September 1935 — the morning after Huey Long's death — Coughlin and FDR spent six hours conferring. The meeting failed to reconcile them, and Coughlin soon teamed up with Townsend and Gerald L.K. Smith to form the Union Party. They nominated Congressman William Lemke to run for president, hoping to force the election into the House of Representatives. However, as political amateurs, they struggled to even get on the ballot in major states like New York or California, ultimately failing to derail the Roosevelt machine. (3)