Reformers underestimated Al Smith by judging him through Tammany stereotypes.

Evidence

Most reformers regarded Smith as the epitome of all that they detested in the Tammany politician. Not only was he uneducated and uncouth—his spitting and drinking were legend—but, more important, he took Tammany’s orders unquestioningly. For years, he had been Boss Charlie Murphy’s chief henchman in Albany, and as president of the Board of Aldermen during Mitchel’s mayoralty he had led the opposition that outsmarted and defeated the Boy Mayor at every turn. Al Smith’s ethics, according to most reformers, matched his habits. — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 403

Categorization

• QUESTION: How did Smith reconcile his Tammany past with genuinely progressive governance? The contrast seems to be setup for a more complex portrait.
• XREF: connects to: Moses dismissed Al Smith as a typical machine politician — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 385; Reform-minded women saw Tammany politicos as instruments for social welfare — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 404

Broader Connections

• Moses dismissed Al Smith as a typical machine politician #exemplifies (0.90) — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 385