Final answer:
The split in the Republican Party between Roosevelt and Taft helped Wilson win the presidency in 1912 with just 42 percent of the popular vote. Roosevelt's strong Progressive campaign and Taft's alienation from the Republican base were critical factors in the election's outcome, overshadowing Wilson's campaign efforts.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is often said that Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft's actions largely determined the outcome of the 1912 presidential election, rather than Woodrow Wilson's campaign efforts. Roosevelt, initially coming to power by chance, became a dominant progressive figure, and his administration set the tone for an activist executive branch that tackled big business and worked towards labor rights and conservation. Taft, Roosevelt's chosen successor, continued these policies but fell out of favor with Roosevelt, leading to a split in the Republican vote when Roosevelt ran against him in 1912 as a third-party Progressive candidate. This split allowed Wilson to win the presidency with only 42 percent of the popular vote, taking advantage of the divide within the Republican Party.
Wilson's victory in the 1912 election was indeed influenced by the actions of Roosevelt and Taft. These actions included Roosevelt's decision to contest Taft's nomination, his Progressive campaigning that captivated the public, and Taft's inability to hold together the Republican base. Ultimately, the rift in the Republican Party meant that many voters who might traditionally have supported the Republican nominee instead divided their votes between Taft and Roosevelt, leaving Wilson to secure a victory less because of his own popularity and more due to his opponents' divide.