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Thanks for the outline there. I'll object to a couple of things, especially the reason for Roosevelt's "disapointment" with Taft and the party conservatives.

During his final two years, Roosevelt was useless with the lawmakers. He caved to Congress and took his fights elsewhere, such as to his "commissions" and public moralizing. This empowered the Congress, which left Taft with no choice but to work with it as it was. Roosevelt, in fact, convinced Taft of this. Taft had earlier planned to challenge Cannon.

Then, amazingly, Taft found that Congress would work with him. The 61st Congress got more done than any Congress in years, including the 59th, which Roosevelt praised to the skies, Cannon, Aldrich, and all. Taft actually advanced the "Roosevelt agenda" in law further than Roosevelt himself had done over the previous three, and, arguably, all seven of his years in office.

Meanwhile, the left wing of the party went ballistic. They tried to beat Taft and take over the party. They lost. So they turned to Roosevelt for help; he refused. Instead, in 1912 he took over their movement. Taft campaigned like a tiger during the Republican primary -- the first time a President had ever done so. After winning at the Convention, Taft sat back and didn't campaign at all. I call it the first and only "Golf Course" campaign. Taft's sole concern was to salvage the party. He knew Roosevelt would lose in November. From the golf course (and motoring around New England), he turned up the conservative rhetoric in order to keep Republican regulars in line. It worked. The party thereafter was his, not Roosevelt's.

Most importantly, during the Republican primary, and during the previous year, actually, Taft defined and defended constitutional government. He pointed to the logical conclusions of Roosevelt's populism and "Direct democracy."

More on this later, as I've got to get back to work. I'm making final revisions on a book on the Taft presidency. It will be published next Spring by McFarland & Co.

Thanks for the banter.

After winning at the Convention, Taft sat back and didn't campaign at all

Had things gone just slightly different on 14 October, 1912 in Milwaukee, Taft wouldn't have needed to have campaigned particularly hard. Why it's almost as if he knew in advance....

During his final two years, Roosevelt was useless with the lawmakers...

Was this when the *Why spoil the beauty of a thing with legalities* quote might have come about? I've tried to track it down without success, including in the back numbers of the Chicago newspaper that once was my source of daily bread, without success. It may be a bit of artistic license, but if genuine, I'd like to be able to cite it aurthoritatively. In any event, there's some great reading to be had while looking.

I'm making final revisions on a book on the Taft presidency. It will be published next Spring by McFarland and Co.

Rats! I'd have asked Santa for a copy for Christmas...and would also have given at least one copy as a present to a pal. But my birthday's in March. Revise faster!

-archy-/-