Taft steps aside-Roosevelt runs as a Republican in 1912

How likely would it for Taft to let Roosevelt run for president again in 1912?
If that happens who would Roosevelt's running mate?
And supposing Roosevelt won who would make up hs cabinet?
What else will change?
 
I think that Wilson, who I am assuming still wins the Democratic nomination, has an powerful issue against Theodore's campaign. He's "desecrating" Washington's legacy of two terms per president. Before you Teddities say that he could ignore this the only reason that FDR was able to do this was his immense popularity as an incumbent president who's got an great track record and there are dark clouds in Europe.
 
I think that Wilson, who I am assuming still wins the Democratic nomination, has an powerful issue against Theodore's campaign. He's "desecrating" Washington's legacy of two terms per president. Before you Teddities say that he could ignore this the only reason that FDR was able to do this was his immense popularity as an incumbent president who's got an great track record and there are dark clouds in Europe.
Wilson did even worse than Bryan did when he ran. In a straight 2-way contest, the Democrats are going to lose in 1912.
 
Considering that Wilson won I think he did better than him but whatever.

In 1910, Bryan had 6,408,984 votes. In 1900 he had 6,370,932 votes. In 1896 he had 6,502,925. In 1912, Woodrow Wilson got 6,296,284 votes; less than Bryan but not really that much less.

Anyway, if Teddy ran, the GOP would win 1912. The reason the Democrats won was a split between the GOP between TR and Taft. TR's and Taft's combined votes were 7,608,963. Taft could let TR have the GOP nomination if TR just kept his mouth shut and didn't declare war on Taft.
 
Taft wasn't the lightest of guys to say the least, and I believe he holds the record as the heaviest US president ever. Perhaps he has a health scare in 1911/12 that convinces him not to run (heart attack etc.)? Such an event would surely pave the way for TR to take the GOP nomination and win a Third term.
 
Absent severe butterflies, TR would beat Wilson in 1912, Being that he came to office initially due to Garfield's assassination, he could use that fact to "finesse" the no 3rd term issue....as I recall it was not much of an issue OTL.

IMHO the biggest result of TR getting elected is the US does not wait until April, 1917 to get in the war...and "preparedness" starts by late 1914 so when the US enters (probably not until 1915 or early 1916) the Army has plans to induct and train men, more "Plattsburg/OCS" trainees ready, adequate production (or at least decent) of rifles, machine guns etc.

While this will probably end the war earlier, the net result will be many more US casualties which will have some important social/political butterflies...."isolationism" could very come sooner, stay longer, and be stronger...
 
Absent severe butterflies, TR would beat Wilson in 1912, Being that he came to office initially due to Garfield's assassination, he could use that fact to "finesse" the no 3rd term issue....as I recall it was not much of an issue OTL.

I think you mean McKinley's.

Anyway, it is far from self-evident that TR would win a straight fight. If you look at California, where Taft was not on the ballot (he got a few write-in votes but for all practical purposes it was a straight Wilson-TR contest) you'll see that TR prevailed by less than 200 votes out of some half-million cast - this in spite of having the popular Governor, Hiram Johnson, as his running-mate. By contrast, Taft had carried the state against Bryan in 1908 by almost two to one. If CA voters were at all typical, this points to a massive swing against the Republicans even with TR as their sole candidate - more than enough for Wilson to win. Of course he'd win even bigger in a straight fight with Taft, but that would be no consolation to TR.

IMHO the biggest result of TR getting elected is the US does not wait until April, 1917 to get in the war...and "preparedness" starts by late 1914 so when the US enters (probably not until 1915 or early 1916) the Army has plans to induct and train men, more "Plattsburg/OCS" trainees ready, adequate production (or at least decent) of rifles, machine guns etc.

How does TR get any of that through Congress? OTL it wouldn't even accept all of the far more modest Wilson programme. TR can fulminate all he wants, but any big military appropriations will just die in committee. And Congress certainly won't declare war in 1915 - probably not even in 1916 - whoever is POTUS.
 
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Perhaps there would have been little change. Possibily an earlier entry into the First World War but Roosevelt would have had to won the support of congress. Any attempts to join in in 1915 would have had to take into account the Q ships and the Baralong incident. Perhaps he would have introduced an early form of lend lease and neutrality patrols in the hopes of provking Germany into declaring war or into sinking American ships. His cabinet? Maybe he would have had a cabinet of all talents in the war and appointed his nephew as Navy Secretary.

Roosevelt might have interved more quickly after the Ludlow massacre sending in Federal Troops and enforcing a concilliatory settlement on the mine owners
 
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