Trump and the Two Underwoods: A Tale of Contested Conventions

“Alabama—twenty-four votes for Underwood!” That declaration, despite the Underwood name, is not from “House of Cards” but from the wildly contested 1924 Democratic Convention, at Madison Square Garden. The Underwood in question was not Francis (or Claire) but Oscar. He was one of many, many candidates whose name was put to a vote, and, though he was well behind the front-runners—Governor Al Smith, of New York, and the Californian William McAdoo—he was one of the few to stay in until the end. Each roll call began with Alabama, and the delegation’s spokesman, Governor W. W. Brandon, gained notoriety for his booming drawl. At first, it seemed like a charming regionalism. But, as ballot after ballot ended in deadlock, the cry (“Al-aaa-ba-maaa!”) became a signal that an august party ritual had devolved into political self-parody. There were a hundred and three ballots before a nominee was chosen.

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