WILLIAM H. TAFT (R) - 1909-1913
The 27th President never wanted the office. He was Secretary of War under Pres. Theodore Roosevelt and made it known he wanted to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But he had to be President first.
But as president, he was supposed to be the natural heir to Teddy. He then undercut his friend with his positions and alienated all sides with his lack of political deftness. His antitrust lawsuit against US Steel came across as a direct repudiation of Teddy, which spurred Teddy to run for a third term and oust his former friend. Taft managed to resecure the GOP nomination, so Roosevelt ran as a Bull Moose candidate. Taft came in third.
Taft was better on foreign policy, strengthening relationships with Britain and France. And later he got his dream job and spent the last eleven years of his life as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
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