This is coming from an old guy of 69 (me). Why did we let our Dem leaders get so old, so out of touch?

[Escurumbele]

93. Actually, the Spanish-American war in Cuba was a success, and yes, everytime you fight a war you run the risk

of getting killed, he was also very brave (some people may think a bit stupid) because he was not afraid to be in the middle of a fight. He also was a hunter, something I don't agree with but, it was the times, and he went solo hunting which was very risky, he did things that were, to some, crazy but to him things that he loved doing and fear was not a factor.

The one thing I did not agree, at all, with him was his sending his kids to fight a war that he knew would get them killed, and I believe he regretted it , and never recovered from it.

You are correct that he won the presidency because McKinley died, but he would have been president even if McKinley had completed his term, Roosevelt was a doer, he was charismatic, a great speaker, and people loved him, so he would have been president anyway, and he won his 2nd term as president, and as you can see below, it was the republicans who prevented him from a 3rd term.

I am not sure if I interpreted your post correctly, and if I don't, please accept my apologies but it sounds like you infer that he would have never been president had McKinley not died? Which I don't agree with, he was already a very popular man.

1912
Populist Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt came to the presidency after the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901. He was reelected in 1905, served his second term and then, following tradition, announced he would not seek a third term in 1909. However, by 1912, he has become so disenchanted with the man who followed him, William Taft, that he decides to run. He does not get the nomination of the Republican Party, so he organizes the Progressive Party, which is also known as the Bull Moose Party, and runs under its banner. Although he receives more votes than Taft, the split among Republicans hands the election to Democrat Woodrow Wilson.

republicans did not like him because he was a progressive. If Democrats fought harder to weaken republican propaganda against progressives (well, they have to start by supporting progressives), then it would not be a factor. The same that republicans do to sell their lies, even though they are plain to see, the same Democrats must do to combat and out republican lies, as well as to sell Democratic ideals and the one thing we all complain about? To tell the World of their achievements.