The Democratic Convention in 1912 was highly contentious, requiring 46 rounds of voting to nominate their candidate. As Wikipedia notes:
Now if Clark is able to defeat Wilson (for example lets say that Wilson concedes before Bryan can throw his support behind him), might Bryan decide that with the Democrats backing a Wall Street candidate (at least in his eyes) and the Republicans backing the unpopular and conservative Taft, the best hope for the country lies with Roosevelt's Progressives? In addition, given that the Progressive national convention was held over a month later, might it be possible for Bryan to be nominated as Roosevelt's running mate? Finally, how would this affect the election?
It proved to be one of the more memorable presidential conventions of the twentieth century. Initially, the frontrunner appeared to be Champ Clark of Missouri, the Speaker of the House, and Clark did receive the largest number of delegate votes early in the balloting. However, he was unable to get the two-thirds majority required to win the nomination. His chances were hurt when Tammany Hall, the powerful and corrupt Democratic political machine in New York City, threw its support behind Clark. Instead of helping him, this led William Jennings Bryan, the three-time Democratic presidential candidate and still the leader of the party's liberals, to turn against Clark as the candidate of "Wall Street". Bryan instead threw his support to New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson, who had consistently finished second to Clark on each ballot, and who was regarded as a moderate reformer. Wilson had nearly given up hope that he could be nominated, and he was on the verge of having a concession speech read for him at the convention that would free his delegates to vote for someone else. Bryan's defection from Clark to Wilson led many other delegates to do the same, and Wilson gradually gained strength while Clark's support dwindled. Wilson finally received the nomination on the 46th ballot.
Now if Clark is able to defeat Wilson (for example lets say that Wilson concedes before Bryan can throw his support behind him), might Bryan decide that with the Democrats backing a Wall Street candidate (at least in his eyes) and the Republicans backing the unpopular and conservative Taft, the best hope for the country lies with Roosevelt's Progressives? In addition, given that the Progressive national convention was held over a month later, might it be possible for Bryan to be nominated as Roosevelt's running mate? Finally, how would this affect the election?