A Path Less Travelled: Part Three
A Most Unexpected Nomination, A Most Unfortunate Fracture
President Roosevelt intended to run again in 1920 and the Progressive Party intended to renominate him.A Most Unexpected Nomination, A Most Unfortunate Fracture
But Roosevelt's death in 1919 and now President Marshall's decision not to seek his own term in 1920 threw the floodgates wide open. The 1920 Progressive Primaries, the most expansive ones in the nation at this point, sent three frontrunners to the Progressive National Convention: Hiram Johnson of California, Roosevelt's original running-mate in 1912 and considered by many to be one of the father's of the party; Senator Albert J. Beveridge of Indiana, considered a philosophical leader of the Party who carried both legislative (albeit, very little) and executive (served as Governor of Indiana from 1913-1917) to the table; and, lastly, General Leonard Wood of New Hampshire, who surprised many by announcing his intention to run and surprised more by entering the Convention with the most primaries won. Though the Convention was intense and Johnson felt like he deserved the nomination, Wood ended up winning the nomination, many viewing him as the closest thing to Roosevelt and his ideals the Party could put forward. Wood was paired with progressive favorite Senator George Norris to beef up the ticket's commitment to progressivism.
The Republican Party, already bloody from the civil war that led to the rise of the Progressives and the expulsion of many a member, cemented their position as the business oriented, establishment ticket. Though their numbers had decreased in the preceding years, a handful of influential figures that still held government fought for the nomination. The balloting continued until finally, Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Sr. of New Jersey, a party standard bearer from its northeast base was agreed upon. However, when the Convention named Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge, party members left outside of the northeast wondered just how the hell the GOP intended to survive as a national institution with tickets like these.
Maybe their hopes were lifted when the Democratic Tear of 1920 occurred that summer. The Democratic Party found itself at a cross-roads. Some felt the failure of the Saulsbury campaign in 1916 proved that the party needed to make a push for the reformist and progressives that had left the party or were on the fence, and bank on the weakened GOP opening avenues elsewhere. The Old Guard of the Party, however, had grown incensed with the Progressive Agenda of the last four years enacted by Roosevelt and his party in the legislature. They felt that the real appeal lay in shoring up conservative support and bringing in dissatisfied Republicans by convincing them their party was dead in the water. The fight on whether to appeal to the reformists or the limited government types caused an intense fight for the nomination that only ended after over 100 ballots with the selection of Robert Latham Owen of Oklahoma. Owen was considered progressive enough, but promised not to abandon the factions of his party. But for his running-mate, Democrats from across the country outside of the south and pockets of the eastern seaboard succeeded in getting Lawrence Tyson the nomination. Their hope was to counter Wood's military appeal with some military appeal of their own. This wasn't what the Old Guard wanted at all. In Owen, they saw an abdication, in the failure to name a conservative as running-mate, they saw an all out rejection.
So they left and nominated Senator Carter Glass, paired him with Blair Lee I, and caused a fracture in the Democratic vote. Calling themselves the Conservative Democrats, they launched a campaign nearly nationwide hoping to appeal to disaffected, conservative Republicans, though their reach didn't extend far past the South. To many, they were just a front for Southern Elites.
And to the Progressives, they were a godsend. Leonard Wood would end up winning the election, taking 35 states and a plurality of the popular vote. Frelinghuysen was seen as a lackluster candidate and his 20.4% showing would be the worst by a Republican in the party's history. Though he received the third most votes, behind Wood and the official Democratic ticket led by Owen, he received the least electoral votes. Glass got the least votes, but was able to win key states in the South that ended up amounting to a third place finish in the electoral college. Progressive's saw successes down ballot emulating Wood (and sometimes surpassing him in places where Wood's progressive credentials were questioned). Though Wood led his next closest rival by an over 10% margin and over 100 electoral votes, the election was nearly hung and sent to Congress - Wood carried the State of New York and its 45 electors by 31.4% of the vote to Frelinghuysen's 30.7%. Had he lost the state, he would have won only 250 electoral votes, 16 less than the 266 necessary to win outright.
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APLT - Index
Part I. 1912 U.S. presidential election
Part II. 1916 U.S. presidential election
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