The ‘beating polio’ theme was part of his 1932 campaign. There was a widely seen newsreel shot that purported to show him walking out of a clinic. In actuality he was supported by others and only took a single step with his braces on. His campaign was carefully crafted to show him as a vital man. He was often portrayed wearing a hat with the front brim folded up as if he was facing into the wind, and the cigarette holder clenched in his teeth was an obvious phallic symbol.