Let the People Rule: Theodore Roosevelt and the Birth of the Presidential Primary. By GeoffreyCowan. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2016. 404 pages.

Abstract

People Rule: Theodore Roosevelt and Birth of Presidential Primary. By Geoffrey Cowan. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2016. 404 pages. Scholars often trace contemporary presidential primary system to changes enacted after 1968 Democratic National Convention. Geoffrey Cowan, in his new book, People Rule, is well qualified to write about modern primaries, having played a prominent role in creating post-1968 changes: journalist Howard K. Smith called Cowan the man who did more to change Democratic than anyone since Andrew Jackson first started them (p. 3). Yet, Cowan's book focuses on changes in other major political party over a half-century earlier: Theodore Roosevelt's (TR) unsuccessful campaign for 1912 Republican nomination. book contends that modern primaries are due as much to TR's actions leading up to 1912 Republican National Convention in Chicago as to Cowan's efforts after 1968 Democratic National Convention in that same city. Cowan's book briefly covers context of TR's 1912 campaign, including TR's promise in 1904 not to run in 1908, his choice of William Howard Taft as his successor, his disenchantment with Taft, and entreaties of TR's friends for the Colonel to return to politics. According to Cowan, turning point was Senator Robert La Follette's candidacy, which prompted TR to enter race on February 25, 1912. As Cowan notes, TR faced a difficult task. He had to balance against both Taft and La Follette, against conservatism and unreasonable radicalism (pp. 100-01). More importantly, given TR's late entry into contest, Taft had support of most of Republican establishment. For TR to prevail, he would have to rely on new state primary elections to get enough delegates to win nomination; without support of party elites, he would have to get support of people. In early 1900s, progressives had pushed for the direct election of delegates to national conventions (p. 35), and in March 1912, TR embraced push for primaries as a way to win nomination, though his ostensible rationale was to ensure that party adhered to the genuine of (p. 72). slogan Let people rule became his campaign theme. In 1912, some states used primaries while others used traditional party conventions. Cowan describes TR's loss in North Dakota--the country's first statewide direct presidential primary--and two other early primaries, after which TR's supporters successfully lobbied Illinois to hold a primary. Less than two weeks later, he won that Illinois contest. According to Cowan, The Illinois vote showed, for first time, how a primary victory can change a campaign's momentum (p. 122). More successes followed, and it appeared that the popular will would be forceful enough to overcome power of conventional leaders, of officeholders and party bosses (p. 179). Thirteen states had primaries, and TR won nine of them. Going into Republican convention, TR was about 70 delegates behind Taft. …