William howard taft: eventually was elected president as a member of the progressive party. found solid support from voters only in the south and southwest. was, in the republican tradition, opposed to a lower tariff. was roosevelt’s choice as his successor. was described by many journalists as "the ultimate politician."

was Roosevelt’s choice as his successor.

Explanation:

William Howard Taft was the 27th president of the United States, between 1909-1913. After then president Theodore Roosevelt declined to run for a third term, he handpicked his close friend Taft as his successor. Taft easily got the Republican nomination, and achieved a solid win against the Democratic Party nominee William Jennings Bryan in the 1908 presidential election. While Taft was Roosevelt's favorite at the time, eventually the former president grew dissatisfied with him. Roosevelt tried to win the Republican nomination in 1912 over Taft, and having failed to do so, ran as an independent candidate. However, he ended up splitting the Republican vote, opening the door for Woodrow Wilson to win the 1912 presidential election and ending Taft's run as president.