ambitions. Taft's alliance with established Republican organizations in states like Texas and West Virginia tied him to the more staunchly conservative leaders who had been active in party affairs since the days of Coolidge and Harding. Their ideology did not arise as a response to the New Deal, but originated in the 1920s and had changed very little since. Taft was one of their own and his congressional leadership had proven him more of a conservative than Dewey. However, Taft retained Old Guard support primarily because he chose not to challenge their place in the party hierarchy. The alliance of reformers and upstarts with Dewey, likewise, was not necessarily based on an embrace of New Deal liberalism. Most party officials sided with Dewey to bring about a change in local leadership, although some like McDowell and Briggs did think the Dewey program superior to Taft's platform. An agreement with a successful national candidate could change the state and local dynamics considerably. Patronage duties were generally handled by the RNC staff in conjunction with the White House, but required local input. The leaders of the regular organizations built their power on patronage appointments and, if that responsibility was suddenly taken away, the foundation of their leadership departed as well. A split from the regular organization could permanently destroy an individual's political career, so politicians only broke if a national candidate had a legitimate chance at the nomination. Dewey, blessed with a number of advantages, appealed to disgruntled partisans nationwide and fostered local divisions as a critical part of his pre- convention strategy. Breaks with local organizations over a national candidate's policy or ideology in this self-interested environment were extremely rare, but partisans tripped all over themselves to support the individual most likely to win.