Question about the Teddy Roosevelt era...

[Sephirstein]

If most Republicans preferred the progressive agenda, why the bleep did Taft win the primary?

[Wwagsthedog]

1. No such thing as a primary in 1908

As noted, Taft promised to follow TR's progressive agenda but didn't and the rest is history...........

After Theodore Roosevelt declined to run for reelection in 1908, the Republican convention nominated Secretary of War William Howard Taft for president and Representative James Schoolcraft Sherman of New York as his running mate. The Democrats chose William Jennings Bryan for president for the third time; his running mate was John Kern of Indiana.

The predominant campaign issue was Roosevelt. His record as a reformer countered Bryan's reformist reputation, and Taft promised to carry on Roosevelt's policies. Business leaders campaigned for Taft.

In the election Taft received 7,679,006 popular votes to Bryan's 6,409,106. Taft's margin in the electoral college was 321 to 162.

http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/rcah/html/ah_028031_1908.htm

[dorktv]

2. That is a prime example of using a popular former

president to help your own race. Gore should have paid attention.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. I'm not sure most Republicans...

preferred TR's progressive agenda. TR was becoming disenchanted with his party's swing toward the right at the time.

He got really disenchanted later when he saw how Taft was kissing up to the right wing.