Splinter Parties and the Global Shadow Guest: David Pietrusza Book Title: Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR's 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal Beyond populist insurgents, Roosevelt had to contend with the Socialist and Communist parties, whi

Splinter Parties and the Global Shadow Guest: David Pietrusza Book Title: Roosevelt Sweeps Nation: FDR's 1936 Landslide and the Triumph of the Liberal Ideal Beyond populist insurgents, Roosevelt had to contend with the Socialistand Communist parties, which held significant sway in urban centers. The Socialists, led by Norman Thomas, appealed to the intellectual "proto-faction" in New York City, drawing hundreds of thousands of votes. More complex was the role of the Communist Party USA, led by Earl Browder, who was hand-picked by Stalin for his compliance. Under Stalin's"Popular Front" strategy to combat Hitler, the Communists shifted from attacking Roosevelt as a "tool of Wall Street" to offering a deceptive endorsement. Browder realized an open endorsement would be the "kiss of death," so the party ran its own campaign while focusing its firepower on Roosevelt's opponents. This radicalism extended to the Midwest with the Farmer-Labor Party, led by figures like Minnesota Governor Floyd Olson. Olson, a radical agrarian who also harbored presidential ambitions for 1940, presided over a volatile political climate where political violence was not uncommon. These movements reflected a "different political geography" where radical agrarianism and urban socialism threatened to peel away parts of the Democratic electorate. Roosevelt remained wary of these factions, particularly in New York and California, where they were most active. Internationally, the brewing Spanish Civil War and the rise of European dictators added urgency to the domestic political landscape, as the Communists sought to keep Roosevelt in power as a potential ally against fascism. (4)