FDR was a good public speaker, but it could be argued that it was Louis Howe who helped him to develop these skills. Louis Howe was a journalist with a vast knowledge of politics who helped FDR with all of his campaigns. Louis Howe trained FDR to communicate effectively with the public by using his knowledge and FDRs natural charm and charisma. Many would argue that without the great help that Louis Howe provided, FDR would not have had the necessary public speaking skills to become President. Whilst FDR was recovering from polio, Louis Howe also helped his wife Eleanor to pursue her own political career.
One of the biggest contributors to FDR becoming President was the help of his wife Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor was his fifth cousin once removed and the favourite niece of Theodore Roosevelt, somebody who FDR looked up too as he had been President. Teddy Roosevelt would have certainly been more inclined to help FDR with his political career if he was married to a favourite relative. The marriage between FDR and Eleanor seemed to be a happy and loving one, but a few years into the marriage Eleanor discovered that he had been having an affair with a woman called Lucy Mercer. Eleanor was devastated, but agreed to stay with FDR as if she didn’t, his reputation would be shattered, and his political career over. This is a huge contributor to him becoming president if Eleanor had not stayed with him he would never have made it anywhere. Also, whilst FDR was recovering from polio, Eleanor pursued her own career which helped keep the famous Roosevelt name in the limelight.
At the time FDR became president, it was at the height of the great depression and the current president Herbert Hoover was not being pro-active in his approach to the crisis. FDR had done an excellent job as the governor of New York and had therefore become more and more popular with the American people. If Herbert Hoover had really tried to make a difference to the devastated lives of the American people, they may never have voted for FDR. Equally, If Herbert Hoover had not been president, and a more pro-active president was in power, FDR would not have stood much of a chance. FDR promised to a change in the way that America was run and that he would save America from the depression. FDR campaigned vigorously for the post of president. Hoover on the other hand, preferred not to campaign, much like the old presidents preferred not to campaign. FDR used the skills that Louis Howe had taught him to gain publicity and crucially, votes. Hoover was a very unpopular candidate, had he been popular, it would have been much less likely for FDR to be voted for by the public, meaning that he would never have become president at all.
In conclusion, FDR became president because of a number of contributing factors. Without any one of these it could be argued that he would never have become president. The main or most important factor could have been his wife Eleanor. Without her support throughout the darkest years of his life, his reputation, and the reputation of the Roosevelt family would be shattered.
