U.S. presidential election, 1912

[A18]

No hindsight.

The election of 1912 was fought out mostly between Democrat Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt of the Progressive Party. Taft's role in the campaign was marginal.

Roosevelt offered voters the New Nationalism, proposing federal regulation of business on an unprecedented scale and comprehensive social welfare legislation.

The Progressive platform favored a ban on labor injunctions; national occupational safety standards; prohibition of child labor; a minimum wage for women; a six-day work week and an eight-hour work day; workmen's compensation insurance; a social security system; improved educational standards; creation of a national health service; strengthening the Interstate Commerce Commission; currency reform; maintenance of the protective tariff only to the extent that it benefits labor; graduated inheritance and income taxes; and a federal securities commission to supervise public offers of stocks and bonds.

It called for an easier method of amending the Constitution, and permitting Supreme Court decisions to be reversed by national referendum.

Additionally, the platform supported primaries for all state and national offices; ballot initiative, referendum, and recall; women's suffrage; limits on individual campaign contributions and campaign financial disclosure laws; registration of lobbyists; opening congressional committee hearings to the public and recording committee votes; and popular election of senators.

Wilson's New Freedom promised to end monopoly, restore free competition, and establish the right of labor to collective bargaining. The Democratic platform favored a lower tariff; enforcement of both criminal and civil antitrust laws; protection of states' rights; constitutional amendments providing for a federal income tax, direct election of senators, and a single presidential term; extension of the presidential primary system; a ban against corporate campaign contributions and limits on individual contributions; regulation of the railroads, express companies, telegraph, and telephone; banking and currency reform, a workmen's compensation law; stricter pure food and public health laws; and an immediate declaration of intent to recognize the independence of the Philippines.

Taft did little campaigning. The Republican platform favored creation of a federal trade commission with quasi-judicial powers, retention of the protective tariff, banking and currency reform, extension of civil service protection, a ban on corporate campaign contributions, conservation of natural resources consistent with the rights of settlers, prospectors, and miners, and further restrictions on immigration.

With Republicans divided, Wilson won an easy victory.

[A18]

I would of course vote for Wilson. Roosevelt had become a total maniac, and the Progressive platform would be horribly oppressive.

The idea of allowing a national referendum to overturn Supreme Court decisions is especially frightening, as the majority would quickly learn that there were no limits on its power. Making the amendment process easier is also a terrible idea.

I don't agree with the entire Democratic platform, but it is at least sane, and far preferable to what the "Progressives" had to offer.

[Democratic Hawk]

No need for any hindsight, I'd have voted the way I'd always would have voted since 1824 (with the exception of 1972, of course) and that's Democrat; therefore,  Wilson

Dave

[A18]

Wow, we voted for the same person

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Teddy Roosevelt, without question.

[A18]

Teddy Roosevelt, without question.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Debs. And why the hell isn't he listed as an option? He polled 6% of the popular vote (as high as 16% in Oklahoma and Nevada) and won several counties.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Teddy Roosevelt, without question.

Are you previewing your new avatar, Wilsonian?

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

No need for any hindsight, I'd have voted the way I'd always would have voted since 1824 (with the exception of 1972, of course) and that's Democrat; therefore,  Wilson

Dave

But if I say something like that, I'm a "partisan hack".

[A18]

Do you support socialized health care and destroying our constitutional structure, or do you have some other reason you would vote for the communist candidate?

[A18]

Debs.

Socialist Party? So I suppose that's a lot like TR's, except more moderate.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Do you support socialized health care and destroying our constitutional structure, or do you have some other reason you would vote for the communist candidate?

I would be voting for the person who is most like President Bush and the modern Republican Party.  If this doesn't jive with your John Birch society meetings, then tough cookies for you.

[A18]

Uh, when did Bush call for repealing the Constitution?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Debs.

Socialist Party?

Socialist Party of the United States. The party also had a couple of Congressmen every now and again (one for north Milwaukee) some state legislators and various local government officials.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Uh, when did Bush call for repealing the Constitution?

Are you saying you oppose Supreme Court decisions being overturned by national referendum?

We could rid ourselves of Kelo v New London in about 3.8 seconds.

It looks like a whole lot of things in the Progressive platform have been accomplished and are now being improved upon by President Bush.

[A18]

We could also rid ourselves of rulings protecting free speech, such as Texas v. Johnson, or religious freedom, or any number of other things.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

In a time when child labor was common and human beings were being abused by monopolistic corporations, TR believed in radical means to relieve Americans of their suffering.

[A18]

I'm sorry, but I don't think dismantling judicial review would have been an appropriate way to relieve Americans of their non-existent suffering.

[Democratic Hawk]

Does the freedom to exploit trump the freedom from exploitation, for you?

Dave

[A18]

I disagree with your assertion that there was exploitation. What does that have to do with socialized health care and dismantling judicial review, anyway?

[Democratic Hawk]

I disagree with your assertion that there was exploitation. What does that have to do with socialized health care and dismantling judicial review, anyway?

Quite a bit if reactionary, and possibly unaccountable, justices stand in the way of legislative progress in the provision of healthcare and morally acceptable labour laws

Dave

[A18]

LOL. Anyone who thinks lack of socialized health care is exploitation is a fool.

Those would clearly be unconstitutional at the federal level. The term 'reactionary' appears to be a close synonym for 'intelligent' to you.

[MasterJedi]

Teddy Roosevelt

[The Duke]

Teddy Roosevelt, our greatest President.

And I love how A18 calls htmldon a Democrat even as A18 himself endorses a Democratic candidate!

[A18]

I see you're completely insane.

Wilson is closer to the Republicans today than Roosevelt. The difference between don and me is that I actually believe in the principles of our party, which do not include destroying the Constitution.