Could Norman Thomas have tried to win the DNC in 1932?

[buritobr]

Norman Thomas ran in 1932 as a socialist. He had 2.2% in the general election. Not bad for a third party candidate.

Instead of running as a third party, could he have tried to defeat FDR in the Democratic Convention? 1932 was a good time for anti free market ideas.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

No.

Possibly he would have had a chance if our current primary system had been in place then, but there was zero chance he could have gained the nomination at the DNC under the rules in place then, which included among other things, gaining the support of two-thirds of the delegates.

[Famous Mortimer]

Also, if he had run in a major party, it would have been with the Republicans.

[The Mikado]

Also, if he had run in a major party, it would have been with the Republicans.

In 1932?!? The GOP was well established as the party of business and financial interests and running as a Socialist in it would have been a fool's errand. Remember that the GOP actually (re)nominated multimillionaire industrialist Herbert Hoover that year.

[beaver2.0]

He could have tried, but would never have gotten it.  If, for some reason, he did, the Southern Democrats would immediately walk out and run their own ticket.  The Western and New England ones might also run candidates or forge unity tickets with the Southerners or Republicans.  Thomas gets destroyed on election day, winning mainly northern and urban votes.  The Socialists and Communists might siphon some off saying Thomas is too moderate and selling out.