Between 1900 and 1924 , the southern bloc had been able to veto presidential nominations by extralimital branches of the Democratic Party . This changed before the 1928 election , as most Democrats decided to sit out the convention due to their belief the party had no chance of winning the November election . Consequently , Al Smith , a four-term Governor of New York , was able to win the nomination on the first ballot
the nomination
1928 Democratic National Convention
1928 United States presidential election in Alabama