S8 Ep221: THE REPUBLICAN FIELD AND THE SELECTION OF ALF LANDON Colleague David Pietrusza. The Republican Party sought a candidate to challenge Roosevelt, dismissing a return of Herbert Hoover and bypassing isolationist William Borah. They settled on Kansas Governor

THE REPUBLICAN FIELD AND THE SELECTION OF ALF LANDON Colleague David Pietrusza. The Republican Party sought a candidate to challenge Roosevelt, dismissing a return of Herbert Hoover and bypassing isolationist William Borah. They settled on Kansas Governor Alf Landon, known as the "Kansas Coolidge," a progressive Republican who had balanced his state's budget. Despite Landon being a lackluster speaker and a "dark horse," he secured the nomination because William Randolph Hearst threw his massive media support behind him. Hearst's papers published relentless positive coverage of Landon, making the nomination his to lose despite the candidate's lack of charisma and national profile. NUMBER 6