Maybe because those rock-ribbed Republicans lived through those times and the younger generation didn't? Look at what Roosevelt inherited from Hoover. Fifteen million unemployed. Thousands and thousands of farmers forced off their land. Cities and states bankrupt. Millions on the road. Over 5,000 banks had gone bust during Hoover's term, and almost as many more went down between Roosevelt's election and his inauguration. Widespread hunger. The U.S. Gross National Product in 1929 was $101.4 billion. In 1933 it was $68.3 billion. And most of all the people of this country were beaten. They had watched Hoover do nothing for four years and they were ready for someone who would do something, anything to try and make things better. In retrospect many of FDRs programs were mistakes and one can honestly say that World War II did more to end the depression than Roosevelt did, but to his credit Roosevelt provided leadership where there had been none, and got people believing in themselves again. As Will Rogers said, if Roosevelt had burned down the Capitol people would have brightened and said, "Well, at least he got a fire started somehow." Someone is supposed to have said to Roosevelt that if his policies succeeded then he would go down in history as the best president. But if they failed he would go down in history as the worst. Roosevelt is supposed to have replied that if he failed he would go down in history as the last president. And he's probably right. Roosevelt's lasting legacy may be that he got people trusting in their government again and ensured that democracy would continue.
Hoover did not “do nothing for four years,” as the Democrats have contended ever since (remember the phrase “George Herbert Hoover Bush” from 1992?). Unfortunately, many of the actions he took, such as raising taxes and tariffs and trying to keep wages high in the face of a deflation of the currency only made matters worse.
In contrast to Hoover and FDR, President Warren G. Harding fought the depression of 1919 by cutting taxes and downsizing the federal government. By the time he died in 1923, a recovery was well underway.
Good grief. I suppose people would rather have somebody make them feel good about themselves than actually have to do it themselves by accomplishing something. Hence FDR and Slick Willy. At least with Reagan they had a reason to feel good again.
Smoot-Hawley, tax increases, wage freezes,price controls... sure, that's nothing (compared to what FDR did). Actually, doing nothing - a la Silent Cal in prior recessions - would have been preferable. But FDR did have the microphone (literally, with the Fireside Chats) and he had the public eating out of his hand.