He wanted to be president of the United States, but Theodore J. Roosevelt hated the idea of sitting in the vice president’s office. He believed beyond question that it was a do-nothing job and a political dead end. In fact, Roosevelt only became vice president because Republican party bosses wanted him out of their way. They pressured the young New York governor into joining the incumbent President McKinley on the 1900 Republican ticket after Vice President Garret Hobart died in 1899.
In the early part of this century, there were no direct primary elections to nominate public officials. Instead, people voted only to elect representatives, called delegates, to choose public officials. The delegates themselves were controlled by party bosses, who often had also selected them as candidates for their offices. In some cases, the bosses even paid voters to vote for the delegates. In turn, these delegates frequently handpicked only those candidates who would toe the party line. Today, such indirect primaries are illegal because, early this century, they had put government control into the hands of a few powerful people.
Party bosses had become wary of Roosevelt when, as the newly appointed New York Police Commissioner, the popular Roosevelt had proven to be an independent leader who said what was on his mind. As early as 1895, Roosevelt had taken up the gauntlet with the Republican party managers by speaking out against the alliances formed between big business, criminals, and politicians. A man with progressive ideas for his time, Roosevelt aligned himself firmly with the New York community against political corruption.
"… this Madman and the Presidency.…"
Roosevelt had been elected governor of New York because party bosses recognized the man’s charisma. It was a charisma developed through determination and drive. Even as a young child, Theodore Roosevelt had been able to overcome asthma simply by determination and living what he called "the strenuous life," a life that constantly pitted his physical strength against nature. The son of wealthy New Yorkers, he was educated for a life of public service at Harvard University. Upon graduating, he spent two years on a ranch in North Dakota building his health. He enjoyed challenging friends and, later, cabinet members, to races and hikes in order to show off his own agility and stamina. As a colonel of the U.S. Army Volunteers, he was a hero of the Spanish-American War. Known to be brave, brash, and bold almost to the point of foolishness, he often bragged of his prowess as one of the Rough Riders, a U.S. Army cavalry group.
As a politician, he was a fine orator, able to hold an audience in the palm of his hand while he spoke. His charismatic personality enabled him to push civil service reform and tax bills through the New York State Legislature. Often these were bills opposed by the party bosses.
Consequently, the Republican bigwigs who controlled the party jumped at the opportunity to place Roosevelt in a role they believed would limit his reforms. Only one Republican leader, Mark Hanna, saw the enormous power Roosevelt could obtain. The conservative leader with tight ties to big business implored his fellow Republicans to reconsider. He asked, "Don’t any of you realize that there’s only one life between this madman and the presidency?" He could not have known how prophetic his question was.
Upon accepting the nomination, Roosevelt was told he would be expected to do the majority of campaign speechmaking and traveling as President McKinley would only hold his customary front porch receptions for visiting dignitaries. Roosevelt agreed cheerfully. "I’m as strong as a bull moose and you can use me to the limit."
