“It is nothing but fair to leave Taft in the chair”
Campaigning was something William Taft despised. He preferred to spend his time on the golf course, believing that the voters detested him. This tagline encapsulates his mentality. It betrays not only his laziness (wanting to be left in "the chair") but also his sense of entitlement in its disinterest. It's all about his right to govern over his nation, not about anything else.
At first look, it appears to be an odd choice of slogan. However, the political backdrop of 1912 explains why someone (either Taft or someone on his campaign crew) believed this phrase made sense. Taft was the incumbent, having won in 1908 with the help of popular Teddy Roosevelt. Roosevelt, on the other hand, was running against him for a third term as a candidate for the Progressive or "Bull Moose" party. As a result, Taft's tagline represented his chances of victory. His reservations were well-founded. For the Democrats, Woodrow Wilson won the presidency, with Roosevelt finishing second. Taft finished third with only 23% of the vote.
Some information about William Howard Taft:
- Born: September 15, 1857, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Date of death: March 8, 1930, Washington, D.C., USA
- 27th President of the United States of America
