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As the 1912 election neared, it was clear to see who the winner was going to be: Woodrow Wilson. With the Republican Party split between the conservatives (Taft) and the progressives (Roosevelt), there was no way that either candidate would win the nomination, save for a major scandal on Wilson. But after trying to dig up as much dirt as they could, neither campaign found anything that would swing the race in their favor. The GOP was doomed, and it was nearly certain that the US would see its first Democratic president in 20 years.

The Progressives met together on a hot August 14 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The ex-president Roosevelt, already voted the Progressive nominee in the previous convention, met with fellow Progressives Hiram Johnson, Jane Addams, and Albert Beveridge. Not a single one of the Progressive leaders meeting in Minnesota really cared about the general election, they were just proud to have made it this far and to have permanently changed the face of American politics. However, just as Roosevelt was prepared to adjourn the meeting, the phone starting ringing. Roosevelt went to pick it up.

"Hello, you are speaking to Theodore Roosevelt. Can I help you?" "Yes, you can actually." It was William Borah, a very centrist Republican that represented the middle ground between the Old Guard and the Progressives. Pleasantries were exchanged between the two, as Roosevelt considered Borah to be a very moderate man, but after that they cut to chase. "I have a proposal, straight from the RNC itself," exclaimed Borah. "They know they can't win without any support from progressives in our party and yours and they can't stand to see a Democrat on office, especially with the growing threat of war in Europe. We need to come to a compromise." Teddy despised the conservative bosses in the RNC, but he despised the Democrats more. However, he did not want to reverse the progress that his party had made, and he certainly wasn't going to give in to the demands of the Old Guard. "Now Will, you know I can't just hop right into a coalition with the GOP like this, especially not after the way the convention went." "I know Teddy, but you really are our only hope of stopping Wilson and the Democrats from getting the White House. We really need progressive backing." Roosevelt mulled this over for a bit.

After some time he finally responded to Borah. "I'm willing to negotiate. But I have some terms of my own. First: I want a new, fair convention, that takes into account the primaries held in 15 states. Secondly: I want a Progressive caucus within the Republican Party. Finally: Whether it be me as the nominee or someone else, I want a 50% say in the cabinet of the president and for progressives to have fair treatment. I also reserve the right to break away and reform the Progressive party at any time I choose. Are my demands clear?" "Quite clear indeed," replied Borah, "I will relay these requests to the RNC." "Thank you, and have a nice day," replied Roosevelt, and with that he hung up.

30 minutes later, after Roosevelt had consulted with the Progressive delegation, the phone rang again. It was Borah. "The RNC has accepted your demands; under one condition." Roosevelt was honestly ticked off. His demands were not even that severe. "What do those bastards in the Old Guard want?" asked Teddy. "They want Taft as either President or Vice President, not [Robert] La Follette," replied Borah. "And they will not budge on that." Roosevelt hated Taft even more than he hated the Old Guard. He was stubborn and out of touch with the American people, not to mention being an unbudging conservative. "I need to talk with my party first," replied the ex-president. After talking with the delegation, the Progressives decided the only way to stop a Wilson presidency was with a coalition. "We agree," replied Roosevelt and hung up the phone. The GOP-Progressive coalition had been forged.

Papers were quick to jump on the story. Reporters flocked to interview Rpublicans and Progressives alike, hoping to get some insight on the change of mind. However, many progressives felt betrayed by their leadership for defecting back to the "slimy" GOP. Progressive news sources called the coalition "an attack on left-wing politics" and "the death to the populist movement." There was still one candidate though that hadn't "sold the progressives out." There was still one candidate that appealed to farmers, workers, and populists alike. And his name was Eugene V. Debs.
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