This year’s oftentimes bizarre presidential election has emphasized the unrest sweeping across America. Many voters think the system has failed them and advanced elites at the cost of the middle class. They see a job market that has squeezed out many who want full-time work. They see a national debt that has exploded, imposing enormous costs on future generations and potentially leading to an economic collapse. They look at a rising tide of terrorism and fear that America is overstretched and its enemies emboldened.

In such circumstances, some have heeded the siren’s call of nontraditional and even obnoxious candidates who claim they can return America to greatness.

In truth, the challenges America faces make it all the more essential that a tough, steady and experienced leader serve as our next president.

That is why we endorse Hillary Clinton in Rhode Island's April 26 Democratic presidential primary.

Ms. Clinton, 68, is a seasoned Washington player with hard-earned experience in how to get things done. She would be a far better president than Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the 74-year-old independent socialist still in the race.

Ms. Clinton would bring a wealth of political knowledge to the job — from her days as the political partner of husband Bill Clinton, the Arkansas governor who became president, to her eight years in the U.S. Senate, to her work as secretary of state.

She understands that America plays an essential part in the world, and that our safety — and that of all free people — cannot be secure if the United States retreats.

She knows how Congress works, and the best ways to advance a Democratic agenda, whether Republicans or her own party holds power in the House or Senate.

She can be counted on to defend the rights of women, and make sure they continue to advance in our society. As the first woman president, she would shatter a glass ceiling that has stood in place for too long, and serve as an inspiration to many.

Her performance throughout a less than edifying presidential campaign season has made clear that she is thoughtful, mature, serious and strong — and fully capable of standing up to the intense pressure of the presidency.

We will not pretend that we are unconcerned about aspects of her conduct in the past. But she is miles above her opponent.

Mr. Sanders has attracted some voters with pie-in-the-sky promises that would effectively ruin the national economy. He would seek to massively expand government, and massively increase taxes with it. Congress would defy him. More troubling, he lacks a deep understanding of American foreign policy, and the role the United States must play in the world.

Ms. Clinton enjoys the support of every member of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation for a reason. We urge the state’s Democrats to give her their vote a week from Tuesday.