United States presidential election, 1908
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The U.S. presidential election of 1908 was held on November 3, 1908. It was not a close race. Popular incumbent President Theodore Roosevelt, honoring a promise not to seek a third term, anointed William Howard Taft as his successor. The Democrats nominated a candidate, William Jennings Bryan, who had been defeated in two previous outings against Republican William McKinley. Taft defeated Bryan in a landslide.
Nominations
Republican Party nomination
The 1908 Republican Convention was held in Chicago from 16 June to 19 June. Prominent Republican candidates included House Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon of Illinois, Charles Evans Hughes of New York, and Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin, but William Howard Taft, the Secretary of War, prevailed with the backing of outgoing President Theodore Roosevelt.Democratic Party nomination
The 1908 Democratic Convention was held in Denver from 7 July to 10 July. Despite a challenge by Minnesota governor John Albert Johnson, two time previous nominee William Jennings Bryan quickly won the overwhelming support of his party.
General election
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Campaign
With the silver issue no longer dominant, Bryan campaigned on a progressive platform attacking "government by privilege". Taft also took many reform positions, and Bryan's support for many of Roosevelt's policies blurred the distinctions between the parties. Business continued to support Taft, and Bryan failed to secure labor. As a result, Bryan ended up with the worst of his three defeats, losing almost all the Northern states to Taft and losing the popular vote by eight points.
Results
Source (Popular Vote): Leip, David. [1908 Presidential Election Results]. [Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections] (July 28, 2005).
Source (Electoral Vote): [Electoral College Box Scores 1789–1996]. [Official website of the National Archives]. (July 31, 2005).
See also
Further reading
External links
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