In Reply to: Doesn't the term progressive go back to the early 1900s posted by DSCBruin on November 07, 2026 at 16:10:04
The election is unusual in that all four candidates are still considered significant historical figures more than 100 years later.
Roosevelt ran on the Progressive ticket with California's Hiram Johnson. Woodrow Wilson was the Democrat. Howard Taft was the incumbent Republican. The fourth candidate was Eugene Debs running as a Socialist.
Roosevelt ran because, under Taft, the Republican Party shifted from a progressive orientation to a conservative one. A shift that seems to have been missing from the historical education of at least one person on this board.
In terms of electoral votes, Wilson won, TR finished second, Taft was third. Eugene Debs got no electoral votes.
As a consolation prize, Taft was appointed to the Supreme Court.