A Presidential Historian’s View

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/05/opinion/a-presidential-historians-view.html

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To the Editor:

“Electoral Map a Reality Check to a Trump Bid” (front page, April 3) is heartening news for every voter eager to preserve the country’s democratic system.

Ted Cruz and Donald Trump are not only two of the least qualified men in the last hundred years to run for the presidency, but they are also fundamentally at odds with our democratic traditions.

Mr. Cruz’s record as a senator is a testament to his minimal regard for political compromise. Under the guise of principled conservatism, he has shunned the give and take that has been essential to the functioning of our democracy. By contrast, Mr. Trump is the consummate opportunist whose self-aggrandizement outruns any interest in how our most successful presidents have used the office to advance the national well-being.

The Republicans would do well to reject their candidacies, and should one of them win the nomination anyway, voters should inflict a defeat on their party that compels them to find a future candidate in line with the country’s cherished political values.

ROBERT DALLEK

Washington

The writer, the presidential historian, has published books on six 20th-century presidents.