Why did roosevelt's republican challenger alfred landon fail in his bid for the presidency in 1936? his traditional urban catholic constituency considered him too radical. the republican establishment thought him too much like roosevelt for their taste. he had made the mistake of relying on the organizational skills of the conservative afl. he faced a powerful new political coalition that would deliver republicans plenty of defeats for the next few decades. as a kansas native, he stood little chance of winning the hearts and minds of americans in the coastal population centers?