Roosevelt Revisited

The convention was deadlocked. Six votes had been cast so far and neither side was budging. The midnight oil was boiling, as the cigars and pipes had been all day long. Smoke filled the room added to the darkness of the situation. Any advantage the party was once had was being slowly squandered. The unity had devolved into squabbling. The rejoicing fell into an obtuse power struggle. Without quick resolution, November would be a distant dream.

No option seemed to please either side. Perhaps there was no hope.

In such a time of desperation, a name did rise, some would say out of veritably nowhere. Neither side, nor any of their spokesmen or lackeys, had any disagreement with the handle being whispered back and forth as the votes climbed ever higher. Not only was he agreeable, or acceptable, but by the end of the next day the whole party found themselves calling him commendable, credible and laudable. It was a name that would become synonymous with the party, a name that would become a standard-bearer, an icon for decades. Even more so, it was a name that would forever be imprinted upon American history, not to be forgotten and lost in the dusty tomes of time. That name was Roosevelt.

----

It was a brisk mountain morning, perfect for a ride to work up one’s appetite and clean one’s mind before the day begins. These moments of solitude in nature were what Theodore Roosevelt relished most about his life out west, despite everything else that had happened. It had been over a decade since he had first come to these new lands. The fresh, virgin air never failed to invigorate him, sustaining him through triumph and tragedy. It was a far cry from the dense surroundings of his life in New York. Out here, a man could breathe.

Roosevelt was returning to his residence, his mind focused on the duties of the day. To his surprise, the quite solace of the morning was broken by the sounds of his daughter, with the two younger sons in tow, running out to greet him, an unusual occurrence to say the least. They were all in a flutter.

“Father! Father!” she exclaimed.

“Calm down, child!” he boomed with paternal dominance. “Calm! What is it?”

“You’re running for President!” He found himself unable to respond. All three of his children were beaming with excitement. For once, he knew not how to react. His indecision would not last.
 

Glen

Moderator
So how much earlier are you having him run? He was pretty young when he became President OTL.
 
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