“Make your wet dreams come true”
In 1928, New York governor Alfred E. Smith was the first Catholic presidential candidate from one of the two major parties, running for the Democrats. Needless to say, this provided his opponents, including the Ku Klux Klan, with plenty of ammunition. They claimed Smith was a tool of the Pope in Rome and an enemy of religious freedom in the United States, particularly Protestant, i.e. "American" freedom. They also said he would invalidate all Protestant marriages, effectively branding millions of fine, honest American children as "bastards."
Even more ridiculous, a story spread that the freshly finished Holland Tunnel was designed as a secret passage between the Vatican and New York City. It was stated that once his minion was elected, the Pope would have easy access to America. Worse, in addition to his Catholicism, his anti-Prohibition (i.e. "Wet") program was related to the Irish caricature - drunks in the gutters and so on. As Governor of New York, he had already authorized weak beers on licensed premises in the city and later decriminalized booze, so people knew he was serious. In the end, he lost to Klan favorite Herbert Hoover, thanks to this poor slogan. And, yeah, it meant the same thing back then as it does now.
Some information about Alfred Emanuel Smith:
- Born: December 30, 1873, New York City, New York State, USA
- Date of death: October 4, 1944, New York City, New York State, USA
- Education: St. James Elementary School
- Former Governor of New York
