[ProgressingAmerica]

"For examples, in 1912, all four parties supported ratifications of both the 16th and 17th Amendments.

This is bizarrely insane. One of those four was TR/Bull Moose Progressive.

Either TR was on-board for the graduated tax, or he was not. You stand on both sides here, attacking at the sheer mention of it but now you admit it. You need to choose.

Am I only allowed to talk about it when BroJoeK approves?

"I'm still saying the same thing -- you're reading backwards

I'm reading forward. From 1900 to 1920. I've been reading forward with these specific numbers for 15 years.

[BroJoeK]

ProgressiveAmerica: "This is bizarrely insane.
One of those four was TR/Bull Moose Progressive.
Either TR was on-board for the graduated tax, or he was not.
You stand on both sides here, attacking at the sheer mention of it but now you admit it.
You need to choose.
Am I only allowed to talk about it when BroJoeK approves?"

No, FRiend, you need to choose -- choose sanity over luni-talk.
You claim Teddy Roosevelt is to blame for the 16th & 17th Amendments when the simple fact is that, in 1912 all four political parties supported both ratifications, none opposed it.
Roosevelt's Bull Moosers received roughly 1/4 of the popular vote in 1912, so we might say they are 1/4 to blame for ratification of the 16th and 17th amendments.

That leaves about 75% of the blame on Democrats (Wilson), Republicans (Taft) and Socialists (Debs), all of whom also supported ratifications.

ProgressiveAmerica: "I'm reading forward.
From 1900 to 1920.
I've been reading forward with these specific numbers for 15 years."

So, let's see if we can separate facts from fiction.
These are some of the facts:

1. Eugenics' peak popularity lasted from roughly 1890 to 1930, corresponding rather well to Teddy Roosevelt's adult life, which ended in 1919.

2. If we measure eugenics by forced sterilizations, then 17 states never legalized forced sterilizations -- Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.
   I see no regional or political bias in this list.

3. Of the 31 states which legalized forced sterilizations, 13 did so during Teddy Roosevelt's lifetime: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

   

4. 18 states legalized forced sterilizations after 1920, the last one being South Carolina in 1938.

5. Already by 1935, three of the states which had previously legalized sterilizations, had again outlawed them -- New York (1920), Pennsylvania (1931) and Alabama (1935).

6. By 1960, nine more states which had previously legalized sterilizations again outlawed them.

7. In 1927, the US Supreme Court in Buck v Bell found (8-1 Holmes) sterilizations to be constitutional in Virginia.
   In 1942, in Skinner v OK, SCOTUS unanimously (9-0 Douglas) abolished some forms of forced sterilization, and the US Congress passed laws in 1973 and 1990 which effectively abolished all forced sterilizations.

Bottom line is that Eugenics, as an idea, had its decades in the sun, when it was considered to be "smart", "progressive" and making common sense.
During this era 31 states (with roughly 62% of the US population) legalized forced sterilizations

17 states never did legalize it, and already by 1920, New York had abolished its previous legalization.

Regarding Teddy Roosevelt, I can find no evidence to support suggestions that:

1. TR's views were in any way outside the pro-eugenics mainstream of his time.

2. TR's support was instrumental in passing any of the 31 state sterilization laws.

3. TR, or any other major politician of that time realized the full moral, legal, scientific and practical implications of eugenics laws in the USA, much less as abused in later years in places like Nazi Germany.