Beginning with the 1908 presidential election , La Follette repeatedly sought election as President of the United States . La Follette hoped that the backing of influential journalists like Lincoln Steffens and William Randolph Hearst would convince Republican leaders to nominate him for president in 1908 , but he was unable to build a strong base of support outside of Wisconsin . Though he entered the 1908 Republican National Convention with the backing of most Wisconsin delegates , no delegates outside of his home state backed his candidacy . At the start of the convention , Secretary of War William Howard Taft was President Roosevelt 's preferred choice , but Taft was opposed by some conservatives in the party . La Follette hoped that he might emerge as the Republican presidential nominee after multiple ballots , but Taft won the nomination on the first ballot of the convention . La Follette was nonetheless pleased that the party platform called for a reduction of the tariff and that Taft indicated that he would emulate Roosevelt 's support for progressive policies . Taft defeated William Jennings Bryan in the 1908 election , and several progressives were victorious in the concurrent congressional elections . In early 1909 , La Follette launched '' La Follette 's Weekly Magazine '' , which quickly achieved a circulation of well over 30,000
1908 Republican National Convention
1908 Republican National Convention
Robert M. La Follette