Final answer:
Demagogues like Father Coughlin and Dr. Francis Townsend were critical of FDR's New Deal, believing it did not address the Great Depression adequately.
Step-by-step explanation:
Demagogues like Father Coughlin and Dr. Francis Townsend were critical of Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) because they believed his New Deal policies did not go far enough in addressing the problems of the Great Depression. Coughlin, initially a supporter of FDR, pivoted to harsh criticism, condemning what he perceived as rampant Communism, corporate greed, and the corruption within the banking system. This criticism was often interlaced with anti-Semitic undertones.
Dr. Francis Townsend proposed a plan known as the Townsend Plan, which suggested giving every retired person over sixty a monthly pension of $200 on the condition it was spent within thirty days. This plan was very popular among the public but would have led to significant government spending. Townsend criticized FDR for not implementing more radical economic reforms to better care for the elderly and stimulate the economy.
Their criticism towards FDR was partly a reflection of their own agendas and beliefs, rooted in populist and sometimes extreme rhetoric. Their appeal to the general public was based less on ideological consistency and more on a mix of anger, fear, and a sentiment that they alone cared for the fate of the common man, all attributes typical of demagoguery. However, despite their fair share of followers, they did not manage to unseat Roosevelt or change the two-party electoral system in the 1936 election.