A committed Prohibition supporter , McAdoo 's first presidential bid was scuttled by the New York state delegation and other Northern opponents of the banning of alcohol at the 1920 Democratic National Convention . After defeating his chief rival for the nomination , Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer , McAdoo finally lost the party nomination to dark horse candidate Governor James M. Cox of Ohio when the delegates decided in his favor on the 44th ballot
1920 Democratic National Convention
1920 Democratic National Convention
William Gibbs McAdoo