Smith's campaign for the Presidency was dogged by vicious anti-Catholic prejudice and the mistrust of the Southern Democratic establishment for Raskob's northern industrialist and anti-Prohibition loyalties.

After the campaign, Smith exercised his traditional prerogative and appointed Raskob as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. For the next four years, Raskob battled to establish a permanent, financially viable organization and to commit the party to ending Prohibition. The latter cause was vigorously opposed by Southern party members and legislators.

While Raskob supported another Smith candidacy in 1932, he was overmatched by the supporters of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Raskob ended his term at the head of the Democratic Party feeling betrayed, tepidly supporting the new President until his distrust of the New Deal became too much to bear.

1928 Chicago Tribune cartoon (file 602) (view)

Anti-Catholic flyer, 1930 (file 602) (view)

Sen. Mcadoo on Prohibition and the DNC platform. (file 602) (view)

Letter to Bernard Baruch outlining DNC campaign expenditures for the 1930 elections (file 602) (view)

Jouett Shouse's proposals for the DNC policy on Prohibition (file 602) (view)

Letter to Deputy re. chairmanship (file 606) (view)

Raskob's complaints about the DNC's treatment of Jouett Shouse (file 1406) (view)

Unpublished (?) statement on the New Deal by Raskob, ca. 1938 (file 873) (view)