I am close to finishing James Chace's 1912: Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft & Debs - the Election that Changed the Country. Of the four men, three have risen in my estimation. Only Woodrow Wilson seems worse now that I know more about him. Racist, anti-immigrant, cheated on his wife, betrayed friends and colleagues just to get elected, and moralizing -- that's how Wilson comes across. Roosevelt is always amusing (who else insists on delivering a speech even though he's been shot and has a bullet in his chest?), Debs is inspiring (gotta love the Pullman Strike! - Boo, President Cleveland!), and Taft seems like a nice fat man way in over his head.
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