Why was Alabama so close in 1928?

[Gustaf]

In 1928 Alabama was won by Smith by a margin of less than 3%, similar to Bush's in Ohio 2 years ago. Why was that? I know Hoover did well in the South, but in other Deep South states Democratic support held up. SMith broke 90% in South Carolina, 80% in Mississippi and 70% in Louisiana. In Georgia he recieved 56% of the vote, worse, but still a large margin. Why did these states differ so much?

[NewFederalist]

Al Smith was the first Roman Catholic nominee to seek the presidency (on a major party ticket anyway) and I suspect that has something to do with it but I cannot account for the wide variances among the southern states.

[WalterMitty]

smith was also 'wet'

[12th Doctor]

Al Smith was the first Roman Catholic nominee to seek the presidency (on a major party ticket anyway) and I suspect that has something to do with it but I cannot account for the wide variances among the southern states.

I would suspect that that probably had a lot to do with it, acctually.  Mississippi and South Carolina both have rather large Catholic communities (compared to other southern states) and Alabama has a history of being the most anti-Catholic of the southern states (which is part of the reason that Mother Angelica chose it as the HQ for EWTN).

[Vasall des Midas]

Alabama actually had free elections, if only for Whites, at the time. Mississippi and South Carolina did not.

[Sibboleth]

Someone posted a county map of it a while ago (over a year ago?) and IIRC Smith did very badly in northern Alabama.

[Rob]

That's the map (posted by RBH quite some time ago). Hoover runs well in the redneck hill country of the north (Smith's Catholicism and "wetness" killed him there) and some industrializing cities, while getting swamped in the Black Belt.

I believe that a well-respected Democratic Senator from Alabama (whose name escapes me) broke ranks and endorsed Hoover, attacking Smith's religion. He campaigned heavily for the GOP, but couldn't quite swing the state.

[Vasall des Midas]

That's the map (posted by RBH quite some time ago). Hoover runs well in the redneck hill country of the north (Smith's Catholicism and "wetness" killed him there) and some industrializing cities

Not all of it though.

[Sibboleth]

So Smith held up better in the coalfields than in the rest of Northern Alabama?