What the Fateful Mistake of a Past President Tells Us About Present-Day Politicians
Drawing comparisons between current and past historical figures is rarely a pleasant exercise.
It was 1904. Theodore Roosevelt just won the presidential election. He received 336 electoral votes versus his rival’s 140, and 56.4% of popular votes versus the rival’s 37.6%. By all accounts, it was a landslide victory.
Roosevelt had been president for three years, succeeding President William McKinley assassinated in September 1901. But this was the first time he was officially elected. “My dear, I’m no longer a political accident,” he told his wife.
At the news conference that night, he expressed gratitude to supporters and pledged to repay their confidence by doing his best. Then he added that he essentially had already served one term, and made a statement that would haunt him for the rest of his life:
“Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for or accept another nomination.”
At the time, the United States had no presidential term limit, despite George Washington setting a wise tradition by stepping down after eight years. Even if there had been such a limit, Roosevelt wouldn’t have been subject to it since his first term was not…
