The 1920 Election
Though there was not yet a two-term limit on the presidency in 1920, Wilson was quite obviously too ill to seek another term. Yet at times, he seemed to desire the Democratic nomination. Instead it went to Governor James M. Cox of Ohio. His running mate was the popular assistant secretary of the navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
At the Republican convention, a deadlock developed between General Leonard Wood and Illinois Governor Frank O. Lowden. As a result of this, an undistinguished senator from Ohio named Warren G. Harding won the nomination. Then, in an event that would be impossible at today’s preplanned conventions, the delegates surprised Republican leaders by emotionally nominating Calvin Coolidge, of Boston police strike fame, as vice president.
Harding was from Marion, Ohio, where he and his wife Florence had built a small town newspaper into a prosperous enterprise. Though Florence was said to have high political ambitions for her husband, she was actually satisfied when he reached the U.S. Senate. Harding himself thought his chances were small when he sought the nomination. But his handsome looks and friendly demeanor won over delegates and voters alike.
Harding was elected by an over-whelming margin of almost two to one over Cox. Certainly the high inflation and deep recession motivated Americans to vote for change. Although Wilson was a strong leader during the war, many felt that it was the lack of peacetime leadership that was causing so much suffering. The result was a predominant anti-Wilson, anti-Democrat attitude among the public. But perhaps what most drew voters to Harding was his vague, placating speeches, a welcome change from Wilson’s sermons about duty to the country and the League of Nations. Harding said just what the people wanted to hear when he declared, "America’s first need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration … not surgery, but serenity." He spoke of responsibility, conciliation, and tranquility, and it was music to American ears.
The Harding Administration
The decisions Harding made in setting up his cabinet reveal two different sides to his personality. Some of his appointments were obviously made as the result of careful thought and good intentions, while others reveal poor judgement caused by a misplaced sense of loyalty. For secretary of commerce, Harding chose the well-respected Herbert Hoover, and for secretary of state, he selected the equally admired Charles Evans Hughes. Both men would serve him well.
On the other hand, for secretary of the interior, Harding appointed Albert B. Fall of New Mexico, based solely on the friendship they had formed in the Senate. Perhaps his most disastrous appointment was Harry M. Daugherty, a combative lawyer from Ohio, as attorney general. Though Harding was warned against it, he felt obligated by loyalty to give his former campaign manager whatever position he wanted. Both Fall and Daugherty would disgrace the Harding administration.
