A stronger Progressive showing in 1912?

Theodore Roosevelt's candidacy was remarkably successful for a third party, gaining second place in both the popular and electoral votes. This success in the presidential level, however, was not replicated down-ticket: the Progressives won a mere 9 House seats and no governorships or senate seats. One cause of this lack of success was the fact that many existing progressive Republicans did not switch. In addition, progressive states like Hiram Johnson's California generally had progressive Republican Parties, negating any need for a separate Progressive Party to win. What could have caused more Republicans to switch to the Progressive Party, and give the Progressives more victories in various elections?
 
Some spitball ideas:

-An early gathering of Progressives, the Progressive Convention only happened after Roosevelt lost the Republican nomination, have them appear, and plan earlier

-Have Taft and Wilson massively fuck up, Taft was unpopular, but he wasn't terrible by any means. But the real problem is Wilson, he was popular among the people as he refused to associate himself with the party bosses, pretty much dismantling them during his stint as New Jersey Governor. Have him either fail, be in their pockets, or appear that he is in their pockets.

-Have more of an effort to support the Party post election: After this election Roosevelt, Johnson, and most others returned to the Republicans, have them stay and try to make the Progressives an actual Party, and you could have them slowly supplement themselves as one of the big 2.
 
Some spitball ideas:

-An early gathering of Progressives, the Progressive Convention only happened after Roosevelt lost the Republican nomination, have them appear, and plan earlier
This makes sense, the Progressives would be able to win more if they had a preexisting structure in most states, even if it's just Prohibition Party levels. But how could this arise? Perhaps some third-party Progressive who distrusts Taft in 1908 forming a minor party of Republican dissidents, which TR then takes control of in 1912.
-Have Taft and Wilson massively fuck up, Taft was unpopular, but he wasn't terrible by any means. But the real problem is Wilson, he was popular among the people as he refused to associate himself with the party bosses, pretty much dismantling them during his stint as New Jersey Governor. Have him either fail, be in their pockets, or appear that he is in their pockets.
Roosevelt did very well in the election OTL, but his party did much worse in all other elections. Short of Roosevelt somehow winning, I can't see more votes for him translating to a significantly stronger Progressive Party showing in other elections.

-Have more of an effort to support the Party post election: After this election Roosevelt, Johnson, and most others returned to the Republicans, have them stay and try to make the Progressives an actual Party, and you could have them slowly supplement themselves as one of the big 2.
This could work, though they'd need a reason to do this.
 
This makes sense, the Progressives would be able to win more if they had a preexisting structure in most states, even if it's just Prohibition Party levels. But how could this arise? Perhaps some third-party Progressive who distrusts Taft in 1908 forming a minor party of Republican dissidents, which TR then takes control of in 1912.

Roosevelt did very well in the election OTL, but his party did much worse in all other elections. Short of Roosevelt somehow winning, I can't see more votes for him translating to a significantly stronger Progressive Party showing in other elections.

If Roosevelt is seen as very likely to win, as in legitimately going to become President again, some of the more Progressive Republicans would be willing to jump ship and take their brand recognition and political connections (one of the reasons the early Republicans came to power so quickly they took the Whigs organization with the), wherein OTL most were unwilling to risk their political future.

Fun fact, one of those men was Nicholas Longworth, Alice Roosevelt's husband, and Theodore Roosevelt's son-in-law. That caused some awkward family dinners I'm sure :D

This could work, though they'd need a reason to do this.

The biggest reason they fell apart was the mass migration back to the Republicans: Roosevelt went back and some speculated he'd run in 1920, Hiram Johnson also served in the Senate under the Republican banner. Keep the more Conservative elements in control and the Progressives aren't joining them, and they sure as hell aren't joining the Democrats.
 
The biggest reason they fell apart was the mass migration back to the Republicans: Roosevelt went back and some speculated he'd run in 1920, Hiram Johnson also served in the Senate under the Republican banner. Keep the more Conservative elements in control and the Progressives aren't joining them, and they sure as hell aren't joining the Democrats.


Quite a few of their voters did.

Wilson's popular vote soared from 41.8% in 1912 to 49.2% in 1916. About 2.8% probably came from the Socialists (whose 1912 vote of 6% was almost halved) but the remaining 4.6% (about 800,000) were presumably ex-Progressives who didn't regard Hughes as truly one of their own. No doubt they came back in 1920, but by then WW1 and its aftermath ensured that so would everyone save the most incurable Democratic voters. The regular Republicans could win easily without needing to court the Progressive vote.
 
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