You’ve never heard of Charles Evans Hughes? He was a Supreme Court Justice who resigned in order to run for president, and came within a whisker of carrying California and thus the presidency against Wilson in 1916. When Harding became president in 1921, he appointed Hughes as Secretary of State, where he served until Coolidge named him back to the Supreme Court, this time as Chief Justice. He was a great American, and one of Homer Simpsons favorite Justices:
“Imagine my daughter on the Supreme Court, following the footsteps of such luminaries as John Marshall, Charles Evans Hughes, Warren Burger ... mmmm ... burger . . . .”
(I’m quoting from memory.)
Thanks for the reminder! Great info there!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1916 ~ says it best. Basically Republican party bosses wanted a moderate. They got a moderate (weaselworded doubledealing all things to all men sort) and Wilson got re-elected. Most folks attribute the outcome to Wilson’s promise to “keep us out of war”. Obviously a “moderate” selected by the GOP-e can’t beat a Democrat telling lies.