These were the very people that fought for our freedoms and independence. Neither party in the current election has even an iota of such an accomplishment. Even the purported civil nature of private communications between the two is at a level of cordiality not seen these days.
Empire was not what all of them wanted, and Jefferson is an example of a founder who spoke against slavery in his early career and then accepted it because essentially the time to fight that battle hadn't yet occurred (his statement against it in the Declaration of Independence was overruled in light of national unity). He did keep slaves until his death, but he also freed his descendants and was involved in drafting the Rights of Man which says a lot about his more egalitarian views. That is remarkable for a gentleman planter from Virginia. Of course some of the founders in the north despised slavery anyway.
Jefferson was a bit of an outlier but make no mistake what they did was radical for the time. We can't romanticize history nor try and analyze it in light of today's values.
Again, the founders idea of America was based on importing forced labor - the majority of early Americans weren't people 'fleeing religious persecution', they were slaves, indentured servants, convicts, and the rest of England's 'trash' that could either be forced or deceived into getting on a boat.
Here's a more complex look at Jefferson's views:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1997/03/what-je...
Who said slaves were "the majority" of the country?
As such, the subtitle isn't a literally calling Jefferson and Adams a madman and a crook. If that was the case, then yes I agree it would be distasteful and a difficult argument. Of course there are major differences. It's pointing out that someone at the turn of that century might have experienced something similar to what we saw this past year and that maybe we could learn something from knowing that.
The argument isn't that IF there are similarities between political rhetoric now and in 1800 THEN you may make a comparison between historical figures. It's that IF there are similarities between political rhetoric now and in 1800 THEN similar political problems may have existed in the year 1800 that we are facing today. The author is highlighting his premise, not making a character comparison.
Misunderstanding what the author wrote is not a personal view or opinion, it's just ignoring the facts. Ironically, that "facts as a personal view" argument was heavily used by both candidates in the 2017 election which you have decried.
That is what I was addressing with my previous comments. Sorry if you thought I was challenging your personal/political/emotional views in some way. I think you are correct, you're just using poor argumentation.
On the other hand, Mr. Jefferson was accused of being an atheist and of wanting to destroy the country à la the Reign of Terror. And Mr. Adams was painted as tolerating straight up acts of war.