Most of FDR’s problems when trying to bring the US out of the depression stemmed from him hiring only elite college grads with no real life experience. They were “smart” but also “dumb” and “arrogant”.
Nasty socialist politicians (and the creeps they appoint) aren't the problem. They're a symptom. The problem is "We, the People". "We" vote for these bastards. "We" get what we asked for.