about the hoover vs alfred e smith election....?

Question

did hoover win because smith was roman catholic??

Answer 1

Smith's Catholicism lost him many of the Democratic votes in the South and rural North, so it may have been a significant factor. He opposed the continuation of Prohibition, but attempted to remain quiet on the subject during the campaign, so that may not have been so large a factor as religion. On the other hand, the economy appeared to be strong under the Republican Calvin Coolidge, so Herbert Hoover inherited a fair amount of goodwill.

Answer 2

It was a factor. But there hadn't been a Democrat in the White House since Woodrow Wilson. Despite Smith being Governor of New York State, the Mayor of its largest city (also a Democrat) was found to be either corrupt or incredibly ignorant of the corruption in his administration.
Still, I like one of Al Smith's most famous quotes:
"The only cure for the ills of democracy is more democracy".

Answer 3

My grandparents who were democrats said they voted for Hoover because they didn't want a Catholic president. They seem to feel that most of their friends in rural Nebraska felt the same way. Given the size of Hoovers vote margin I doubt it accounts for his victory.

Answer 4

If you ask the Democrats they'll say the votes they lost due to Smith's religion were the cause of losing the election.

If you ask the Republicans they'll tell you the good economic conditions led to the victory of Hoover.

It is politics....