1912 Election Flashcards
What was the state of the democratic party even before the 1910 midterms?
There was a split as powerful populist Jennings-Bryan was popular in the South but the idea of ‘free silver’ alienated voters in the East. This led to his defeat as candidate in 1908 and being dropped in 1910.
What happened in the 1910 midterms?
Wilson was a rising star for the Democrats - he was a progressive idealist and united the party. There was a republican disaster as they lost a lot of ground, after this Teddy returned with the Progressive Bull Moose Party.
What happened at the 1912 election?
Teddy split the Republican vote, Taft was presented as being only on the side of Big Business and there was a landslide victory for Wilson. 435 votes for Wilson, 88 for Teddy, 8 for Taft. The only thing that took votes from the Democrats was Eugene Debs’ Socialist Party who got 6% from worker support.
