The lesser of two evils.

[Spike89]

44. Complacency, not evils

No one initially elected FDR as a progressive paradigm--that was not who he was prior to becoming POTUS. He became a progressive in office because we, the people, were on the verge of revolt. A huge number of unemployed men converged on the cities, especially the capital. Farms were failing, factories were closing, and communism was a popular topic, especially among the lower middle class.
As much as it was ultimately progressive, the works projects implemented during that time were as much about simply getting idle and agitated unemployed men out of the cities as anything else.
The point isn't that FDR wasn't progressive (he obviously ended up as one), but that the government responds when the people force it to. When we become complacent, the "captains of industry" make inroads and will dominate until the people get angry (and dangerous to them) once again.