Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
While he certainly had many positive traits, he was also a devout eugenicist. Such beliefs weren't necessarily uncommon at the time, but reading some of his quotes on the matter (easily found on the internet), leaves me feeling a bit uneasy about him.
While he certainly had many positive traits, he was also a devout eugenicist. Such beliefs weren't necessarily uncommon at the time, but reading some of his quotes on the matter (easily found on the internet), leaves me feeling a bit uneasy about him.
Really? I had no idea. What exactly does that entail?
It's a shame Teddy had to make his vow not to run for a third term. His conduct with Taft was very disgusting and unpresidential, and running against Taft in 1916 was a knife in the back of the rebublican party, as it allowed Wilson to win.
I read that Teddy asked Wilson if he could lead an army of men in World War I. Wilson, not surprisingly, did not budge.
Teddy was the best of all the Republican presidents of the 20th century--including Reagan by a landslide. Teddy not only had the strength to stand up to those who opposed him, he had the gonads to stand up to his own party as well. He put America first above everything. So it wasn't long before not only Democrats, but even Republican politicians hated his guts.
If Teddy had ran three consecutive terms, and won his third term the right way instead of trying to pick off Taft, then endorsed Taft in 1912 (sorry about the misquoted date of 1916 above) would Taft have been able to hold off Wilson 2 terms and be president for WW1 ? How would Taft measure up, or was he destined to be a one termer for getting his ass stuck in the bathtub ? Sorry if I'm getting off topic but Taft and Teddy are kinda tied together historicaly.
Another TR factoid, yes he got the Panama Canal project underway, but kinda screwed it up by not getting clear title to the land from Columbia. I can't help but think that thru good diplomacy efforts and patience (not a TR strong point) a solution could have been worked out that gave the US control over the zone forever with minimal extortion payments to Panama or Columbia, other than creating much needed jobs for the locals. France was able to get reasonable terms from Columbia in their efforts, but Columbia pretty much gave the US a big middle finger in their negotiations for the canal. Teddy used military force to "take the isthmus" and shot his mouth off about it, resulting in millions being paid to Columbia for reparations......and Panama was so grateful for what we did for them that they decided to wait a few years or so before shaking us down for more and more.
If Teddy had ran three consecutive terms, and won his third term the right way instead of trying to pick off Taft, then endorsed Taft in 1912 (sorry about the misquoted date of 1916 above) would Taft have been able to hold off Wilson 2 terms and be president for WW1 ? How would Taft measure up, or was he destined to be a one termer for getting his ass stuck in the bathtub ? Sorry if I'm getting off topic but Taft and Teddy are kinda tied together historicaly.
Taft couldn't have won 1912 even in a straight fight. His administration was highly unpopular and had been creamed in the 1910 midterms. The only question was which Democrat gets the nod.
Had TR run in 1908, Taft would have probably become Chief Justice in 1910, and someone else (Root?) might have been elected in 1912. However, by 1916 it is likely that the Reps would have worn out their welcome, and a Democratic victory would be near certain.
Taft was doing a good job in his term, more trust busting legislation was passed in his term than the previous 4 years with TR. Had Teddy stood by him, and campaigned for Taft in 1912 instead of changing parties and running against him, Taft would have won. If you add all the votes TR got with his Bull Moose Party to Taft, then he would have beat Wilson. I would think most of TR's votes would have went to Taft.
TR started tearing down Taft almost from the beginning of his term, cracking jokes about him having 2 gerbal brainpower, fat jokes ect. No wonder Taft lost in 1912, with the ongoing public way Teddy ridiculed him. And it was all because Taft was not taking line by line instruction from TR on what he wanted Taft to do on any given day, but Taft was still operating within the framework of what TR started and was building upon it. TR sabotaged Taft in every way, and I think it was because he was out of power and probably angry at himself for not running for a third term.
Teddy was the best of all the Republican presidents of the 20th century--including Reagan by a landslide.
Seems like Lincoln, Teddy, and Reagan are almost unanimously considered the best Republican presidents in our nation's history. If you want to go back further, you can probably throw in Thomas Jefferson, who represented what was then called the Democratic-Republican Party.
To this very day Theodore Roosevelt is considered a hero in the coal mining region of northeastern Pennsylvania because of his leadership concerning the great coal miner's strike of 1902. Roosevelt used his presidential powers, in the interests of the nation's safety and security, to make J. P. Morgan and the other billionaire mine owners to capitulate to John Mitchell and the new United Mine Workers of America towards better pay and shorter hours for the miners of anthracite coal in that region.
Seems like Lincoln, Teddy, and Reagan are almost unanimously considered the best Republican presidents in our nation's history. If you want to go back further, you can probably throw in Thomas Jefferson, who represented what was then called the Democratic-Republican Party.
It's interesting that you mention Jefferson as a Republican. In contrast to the current Republican Party Jefferson was adamant about separation of church and state. When asked to formalize a national day of fasting (by some Baptist group, I believe), he refused saying that it was not the job of the National Government to endorse any religious celebration. The current party seems to give at least a lot of lip service to letting religion infiltrate national, state, and local governments.
Read some on Jefferson's views of separation of Church and State, it was truly an admirable position for a man of his time.
But I still like Teddy as greater even than Lincoln for many of the reasons mentioned by other posters. Wish I could have been there to hear one of his speeches.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The best 20th Century Republican
