Question

William Taft and Theodore Roosevelt both began as Republicans. Why did Roosevelt leave the Republican party?

a. They supported each other politically but strongly disliked each other personally.
b. They ran against each other in the General election.
c. Taft defeated Roosevelt in Republican primaries after Roosevelt had already served two terms as a Republican President.
d. Taft left the Republican to begin the Bull Moose party after being defeated by Roosevelt.

Answer 1

The correct answer is C. Roosevelt left the Republican Party because Taft defeated him in Republican primaries after he had already served two terms as a Republican President.

Theodore Roosevelt was the twenty sixth president of the United States from 1901 to 1909, representing the Republican Party.

Roosevelt declined to stand for re-election in 1908, and left the country to travel through Europe and Africa. Upon his return to the United States, he faced the new president William Howard Taft. In 1912 he tried to snatch the Republican nomination from Taft; As he did not succeed, he founded the Progressive Party. In the following elections, Roosevelt managed to be the only candidate of a third party to be in second place in a presidential election in the United States, beating Taft but losing against Woodrow Wilson.

Answer 2

I believe the answer is: b. They ran against each other in the General election.

William taft was considered to be Roosevelt's protege and yet the republican party chose Taft over Roosevelt as a candidate during the presidency. Because of this, Roosevelt choose to leave the republican party and created the Progressive party.