ALMOST PRESIDENT: CHARLES FAIRBANKS

In 1908, Roosevelt kept his promise not to run for a third term. (He had served most of McKinley’s term in addition to the one he was elected to on his own.) Needless to say, Teddy did not support Fairbanks to take his place. Using his popularity, as had Jefferson and Jackson, Teddy named his successor and got the convention to nominate him. He chose William Howard Taft, his Secretary of War, over Fairbanks.

Fairbanks had his chance to get even. Four years later, Teddy Roosevelt decided he wanted to be President again, and ran against President Taft for the nomination. Before the convention, Roosevelt forces challenged a large number of Taft delegates for their seats at the convention. The disputed seats were settled by the credentials committee, which was chaired by former Vice President Fairbanks. Roosevelt lost almost every challenge, and with it the nomination. Roosevelt then ran on a third party ticket, (the Progressive Party, or so-called Bull Moose, ticket), but lost the general election to Woodrow Wilson.

In 1916, Fairbanks was again nominated to run for Vice President, this time with Charles Evans Hughes. Although both Hughes and Fairbanks went to bed election night thinking they had won the election, returns late that night gave the election to President Wilson and Vice President Marshall. Fairbanks waited for two weeks before sending the traditional congratulatory telegram to Marshall. It was Fairbanks last run for political office, and he died in 1918 at the age of sixty-six.

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