Taft, Donald, and the Little White Ball

In 1908, after deciding not to run for election again, President Theodore Roosevelt began grooming his hand-picked successor, William Howard Taft, for the job.

Taft had been a successful lawyer, judge, the civilian governor of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War, and secretary of war. He was a political Progressive, as was Roosevelt, and TR wanted just such a man to replace him in the presidency.

With TR backing him, Taft was almost assured of victory, but Roosevelt had some advice for him. TR counseled that Taft should never…