Election of 1904: Rooseveltism and the Progressive Agenda
Republican Party: Theodore Roosevelt (New York) and Charles Fairbanks (Indiana)
Democratic Party: Alton Parker (New York) and Henry Davis (West Virginia)
Socialist Party: Eugene Debs (Indiana) and Benjamin Hanford (New York)
Election Results:
Roosevelt and Fairbanks: 7.62 million popular votes, 336 electoral votes.
Parker and Davis: 5.08 million popular votes, 140 electoral votes.
Debs and Hanford: 402, 000 popular votes, 0 electoral votes.
Summary:
Theodore Roosevelt’s partial term in office had proven to be an active and positive experience for the American public. Roosevelt, who had lamented his role as vice president, took the presidency with guns blazing by pushing conservation legislation in Congress, a pro-American government in Panama to push a proposed canal, and the elimination of major trusts in the economy. This progressive agenda confirmed to many of his supporters his will to lead but also frustrated Roosevelt opponents from the 1900 presidential election, who saw him as a careless maverick. Opponents were lead by Mark Hanna, former President McKinley’s campaign manager, and others who were concerned that Roosevelt would harm the moneyed interests within the party. Hanna’s death before the nominating convention and the overwhelming popularity of Roosevelt led to his renomination on the first ballot by a unanimous vote.
The Democratic Party, in search of an answer to the popular Roosevelt, elected not to go with two-time nominee William Jennings Bryan and chose to go with “safe and sane” Alton B. Parker and Henry Davis at the top of their ticket. Parker, the chief justice of the New York state appeals court, ran a campaign that was primarily an anti-Roosevelt movement. Parker’s attacks against “Rooseveltism,” which he thought was far too explosive and erratic to be part of the presidency, failed to take into account America’s love affair with those traits in Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt told his surrogates and staff to consider Parker one of the more significant politicians of the time, which was more to prevent complacency than to accurately portray the nature of the election. As well, Roosevelt was held back by a tradition of sitting presidents not running active campaigns, which was frustrating for the outspoken Roughrider. Roosevelt did not need to campaign, however, as his strong personality and record of activism within the White House resonated strongly within the public.
While the two candidates parried over relations with Panama, economic protectionism, and labor relations, the personality contest was far more important to the American public. Roosevelt’s strong persona prevailed over Parker’s virtual anonymity and inexperience. The Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket was able to garnish the highest popular vote percentage since the tracking of popular votes began in 1824. Roosevelt had wanted to win a national election of his own right and did so handily, giving him the mandate that his vast ego required.
