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Jeff Singer's avatar

A more recent, but still long ago, example is Woodrow Wilson claiming the governorship of New Jersey in 1910 and winning the presidency in 1912. And back then Jersey had three-year terms for governors! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1910_New_Jersey_gubernatorial_election

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James Trout's avatar

And Wilson had the major advantage in that the Republican Party was irreparably damaged in 1912. With Taft and Roosevelt going at each other's throats, we Democrats essentially could have nominated Bozo the Clown for President that year and won the White House.

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hilltopper's avatar

While I agree with your point, please do not confuse the Democrats of 1912 with Democrats of today ("we Democrats"). The parties have realigned since then. Today's Republicans are not the "party of Lincoln" and today's Democrats are not the party of the segregationists.

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Paleo's avatar

Wilson helped bring in the income tax, the Fed, the federal 8-hour day, the Federal Trade Commission, anti-trust legislation, legislation against child labor.

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Paleo's avatar

I’m well aware of that. That was the point to which I was responding. He also had a horrible record on civil liberties during World War I.

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benamery21's avatar

I knew folks as a child that did prison time under Wilson/Palmer for political crimes.

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benamery21's avatar

They weren’t even reds, just insufficiently pro-nationalist.

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Paleo's avatar

Like Eugene Debs.

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benamery21's avatar

In my personal case it was small time peace church folk who had been locked up for being vocal about being anti-war and conscientious objectors during a war.

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benamery21's avatar

Which was upheld by his GOP successors and largely reversed by New Dealers, despite the Solid South.

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James Trout's avatar

On social issues, you are very much correct. On economic issues, not so much. Wilson very much was economically liberal and hit Charles Evans Hughes hard in 1916 for fighting against the 8 hour day, unions, and excessive big business.

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Diogenes's avatar

Wilson did serve for eight years as president of Princeton University, a potentate that was then perhaps as powerful as the governorship.

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