Gubernatorial Gambit: Smith’s Southern Swing Raises Eyebrows

October 10, 1928, marked the beginning of Governor Al Smith’s high-stakes journey to the South, a trip that would test his mettle and put his Democratic presidential nomination to the ultimate test. As he departed from New York, where he had met with fellow Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, Smith’s entourage was abuzz with whispers of a possible speech before the governor reached Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday night.