Progressive Party Platform of 1912

While doing some research for a paper, I came across an excellent website, The American Presidency Project. A political junkie's dream, the site includes a wealth of public documents including the platforms of all parties receiving electoral votes from 1840-2004. Look at what the Progressive ("Bull Moose") Party Platform of 1912 says about the "Old Parties," and ask yourself if the donkey and the elephant have changed one bit in almost 100 years:

Political parties exist to secure responsible government and to execute the will of the people.

From these great tasks both of the old parties have turned aside. Instead of instruments to promote the general welfare, they have become the tools of corrupt interests which use them impartially to serve their selfish purposes. Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people.

To destroy this invisible government, to dissolve the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day.

The deliberate betrayal of its trust by the Republican party, the fatal incapacity of the Democratic party to deal with the new issues of the new time, have compelled the people to forge a new instrument of government through which to give effect to their will in laws and institutions.

Unhampered by tradition, uncorrupted by power, undismayed by the magnitude of the task, the new party offers itself as the instrument of the people to sweep away old abuses, to build a new and nobler commonwealth.

Teddy Roosevelt ran for president as the Progressive Party candidate after he failed to earn the Republican Party nomination. He received 88 electoral votes (to only 8 for the Republican incumbent William Howard Taft). Wisconsin went for the Democrat and winner that year, Woodrow Wilson.