During TR's term as Governor of NY State he fought with the party bosses, particularly Boss Tom Platt regarding a political appointment. Roosevelt held out, although the boss threatened, to "ruin" him. In the end the boss gave in.

According to Nathan Miller in his book "Theodore Roosevelt, A Life", page 337,

"Looking back upon his handling of the incident, Roosevelt thought he 'never saw a bluff carried more resolutely through to the final limit.' And writing to a friend a few days later, he observed: 'I have always been fond of the West African proverb: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." ' "

The proverb and the policy followed him into numerous instances in his career, including his policies abroad during his presidency.

"There is only one race, the human race" - The Neville Brothers

TR was certainly a giant among the U.S. presidents, and he changed the shape of that office. Taft (who has been under-rated by historians) and Wilson followed him and built upon his foundation. Hence the "Progressive Era" of the TR-Taft-Wilson years. His conservation policies alone were radical for the time. He really brought the long Lincoln-to-McKinley republic to an end and started an entirely new set of rules for politicians to play by.

But TR's legacy was very mixed. Where he was progressive in many domestic policies, he was a xenophobic nationalist and imperialist in foreign policy. As he grew older his creative spark and progressive views started to give way to a kind of congealed and narrow reactionary mindset. I'm sure the 1920 election would've sent him to the White House for another term, and he was making moves in that direction before he suddenly died at age 60 in 1919.

I have always thought TR died from grief. He was one of the very few American political leaders who openly enjoyed war and the glory of battle. But fate sent him a cruel blow when his youngest son Quentin was killed in WWI in July 1918. TR died in Jan. 1919 a broken man.

One of the most well-read of the presidents, TR was very articulate and quotable . If his 1912 self was with us today, I suspect he would endorse John McCain for President, that is, if he couldn't run himself since TR's ego was legendary. When Roosevelt ran in the Progressive Party in 1912, Washington State was one of the states he won. Roosevelt Elementary on the Eastside, my alma mater, is named after him.

Today there exists the Progressive Party of Washington , which claims to carry on the work of the original.