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The 32nd episode in a very long series about the American presidential elections from 1788 to the present. In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt single handedly destroys the Republican Party because they aren't "Progressive" enough, and the Democrats rejoice.
The 32nd Presidential election in American history took place on November 5, 1912. Oh yeah! This was the election that was completely and utterly messed up. It was weird, man. Really weird. How weird? Well look at the electoral map, for crying out loud. What the heck is that?
But I’m ahead of myself. Let’s go back a bit. The Taft presidency was supposed to be Theodore Roosevelt 2.0. But right off the bat, it just wasn’t that way. Taft, was, like, his own person. He fired Cabinet members that Roosevelt had approved of or appointed. While Taft continued to fight trusts, he placed less of a commitment to conservation, labor unions, and restrictions on the employment of women and children. Soon there was a clear split in the Republican Party, between the more conservative leaning Republicans led by Taft, and the Progressive Republicans, led by Teddy Roosevelt.
After traveling around the world with his family for more than a year, Roosevelt came home to one of the biggest receptions ever given in New York City. Initially neutral about giving his opinion about how his friend was doing as President, that changed when eventually a bunch of Progressive Republicans had convinced Roosevelt to run against Taft in 1912.
The Republicans expanded their primaries to include even more delegates from across the country to the national convention to choose their nominee. Going into the convention, Roosevelt actually had more delegates than Taft did. Taft’s people, however, controlled the convention and essentially shut out many of the Roosevelt delegates. This, of course, made Roosevelt very angry, and he and his supporters stormed out of the convention. Not since the election of 1872 had their been such a major divide within the Republican Party.
In fact, Roosevelt and his supporters completely abandoned the Republicans, two weeks later meeting up to create their own political party, called the Progressive Party. These Progressives nominated Roosevelt for President (well duh) and Hiram Johnson, the Governor of California, as his running mate. At the convention, Roosevelt passionately called for what he called a “New Nationalism.” Their platform sought a minimum wage for women, an 8-hour workday, a child labor law, a social security system, a national health service, and the direct election of U.S. senators, among other things. Afterward, Roosevelt told reporters he felt as strong as a bull moose. After that, the Progressive Party became popularly known as the “Bull Moose Party.”
Despite the excitement of the Bull Moose Party, the Republicans pressed on with Taft as their candidate and James Sherman again as his running mate. Believe it or not, Sherman was the first incumbent Vice President to be nominated for re-election since John Calhoun way back in 1828.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, who hadn’t done so well in presidential elections since, I don’t know, before the Civil War, saw this major split of the Republican Party as a golden opportunity. They had a bit of drama as well as their own convention. Originally it looked like Champ Clark, the Speaker of the House from Missouri, was going to be the guy, but he failed to get the ⅔ majority needed to secure the nomination. In second place was Woodrow Wilson, the Governor of New Jersey. Wilson didn’t really think he had a chance, but then William Jennings Bryan decided to endorse him, and Bryan still had a lot of fans, so he had a lot of influence. On the 46th ballot. That’s right, I said 46th, Wilson was nominated, with Thomas Marshall, the governor of Indiana, as his running mate.
So that’s it? Oh heck no.
In 1912, Eugene Debs ran for President a 4th time, trying to keep together a Socialist Party that was also splintering. Debs was by this time a recognizable name across the nation, and his running mate was Emil Seidel, the former mayor of Milwaukee. The first ever Socialist mayor of an American city, as matter of fact.
The Prohibition Party responded to Eugene running again by having their Eugene run again. Eugene Chafin gave it a second try with Aaron Watkins again as his running mate.
The campaigns were dominated by the rivalry between Taft and Roosevelt, former friends who now seemed like bitter enemies. With those two fighting, the election looked to be a lock for Wilson, which was lucky for the Democrats because Wilson wasn’t the most charismatic person.