Examine the presidential election of 1912. Who were the major candidates, what were the issues discussed, and how did the election turn out?

Question

Answer:

Answer 1

An ideal answer will:
1. Discuss the main details of the Republican Party nomination procedure, noting how Robert La Follette initially sought the Republican nomination but lost support after a horrific speech, which opened the door for Theodore Roosevelt to run. Although Roosevelt and Taft battled it out in an even contest for the nomination, Taft controlled the party machinery and eventually secured the nomination for the Republican Party, even though Roosevelt won several primary contests.
2. Discuss the main details of the emergence of the Progressive Party. The mostly middle-class reform party included support for labor unions, conservation, workplace safety, unemployment and old age insurance and the 8-hour workday. They remained silent on the rights for African-Americans and nominated Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt would be shot during a campaign speech but he survived, continued his speech, and his popularity grew as Americans resonated with his toughness.
3. Discuss the main details of the Democratic Party nomination process, as Woodrow Wilson eventually defeated efforts by Champ Clark, Charles Murphy, and William Jennings Bryan. Wilson had governed as a progressive and secured workmen's compensation, open election laws, and a regulation of public utilities. As a candidate, Wilson called for a New Freedom, a program of government intervention in the economy to restore competition by curtailing the business monopolies, thereby providing opportunities for individual achievement.
4. Discuss the effectiveness of the Socialist Party, which nominated Eugene Debs and had grown in power since the last election (winning several local races around the country). The Socialists called for government ownership of the railroads, shorter working hours, workers' compensation, electoral reform, and women's suffrage (some parallels with the Progressive Party here). They also called with securing the vote for African-Americans.
5. Discuss the outcome of the election. With the Republican Party divided, Wilson won by a million votes in the popular vote. He won the entire Democratic South and his antitrust rhetoric appealed to workers and some progressives. Roosevelt came in second in the popular and electoral vote, with Taft third, and Debs fourth (who got nearly a million votes).
6. Write a concise and effective conclusion that correlates the major issues of the election with the results.