Continuing the look at Politics Past, here is the nominating speech for Alf Landon at the 1936 Republican Convention, as given by his Campaign Manager, the up-and-comer in the RNC, John M. Hamilton.
Hamilton, aside from being Landon's Campaign Manager, also represented what was begrudgingly called "The Youth Vote", since Hamilton was "somewhere in his early 40's", according to reports from the floor and the broadcast booth. He represented the new blood in the Republican Party, new blood that was sorely needed if there was to be a different face in the White House come Autumn. Of course, Kansas Governor Alf Landon couldn't really be considered a radical change from what was long considered "the old guard" at the RNC. And even though Hamilton was wildly cheered, accompanied by a demonstration that lasted the better part of a half hour before he could finish his nominating speech, you couldn't help think it was actually Hamilton they were cheering and not necessarily Landon.
So here is the entire speech, along with the elongated ballyhoo that accompanied it for this 7th session of the Republican Convention from June 11, 1936.
Politics just somehow doesn't seem the same, except of course the endless quest for the elusive "youth vote".
