“The children of the Reagan Revolution are ready to assume the mantle of leadership.”

— Marco Rubio, Feb. 20

Throughout this bizarre presidential election cycle, voters have been eager to express their anger and distrust of derelict leaders whose misguided priorities threaten to bring this nation low. And who can blame them?

But voters can do more than lodge protest votes in favor of candidates who echo their anger — but whose ideas and policy proposals, if they exist, ring dangerously hollow.

They can simply choose to close the book on the status quo — and escort its standard-bearers from the stage.

One of those self-proclaimed “children of the Reagan Revolution” makes a strong case that the time has come not only for an ideological change in the White House — but for a generational change in Washington, too. And with the field of GOP presidential candidates narrowing, the choice for voters in Massachusetts, who head to the polls March 1, is coming into much clearer focus.

Back before the New Hampshire primary, we considered New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie the best hope for bringing together a deeply divided nation. But the exigencies of the political timetable — and the money needed to run for office these days — forced Christie out of the race too soon.

Now it is clear that, in what is for all practical purposes a three-way race, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida represents the Republicans’ best hope to bring the party and the country together. The Herald is pleased to endorse him for the Republican nomination.

Consider that among South Carolina voters who said the ability to win in November mattered most, Rubio was miles ahead of his rivals. He was the top pick of voters who prioritized experience. A Cuban-American who has developed strong relationships within and outside of his own party, Rubio could be a demographic game-changer for the GOP.

But those are purely practical considerations. It was left to Jeb Bush, in his gracious departure from the race, to remind voters of something others have lost sight of in this campaign. “Despite what you may have heard, ideas matter,” Bush said. “Policy matters.”

Rubio happens to be an ideas kind of guy — solid on policy, too.

He has been a strong voice in favor of reducing the size of the federal government, while increasing accountability for government spending and promoting pro-business tax policies. He backs practical reforms to entitlement programs. He has called for “a return to the Constitution,” in contrast to the current occupant of the White House, who is content to ignore that precious document when it suits his needs.

On immigration, Rubio was a member of the Gang of Eight which in 2013 sought — commendably, in our view — to negotiate a comprehensive immigration reform bill. He has walked a fine line on the issue while campaigning, but we are hopeful that in the White House he could work with both parties in Congress to solve once and for all this entirely fixable problem.

Meanwhile, as U.S. relations with some allies lie in tatters, and threats to the American homeland grow, Rubio, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, brings current knowledge of foreign affairs that no other GOP candidate does.

Throughout his career Rubio has proved his conservative but practical bona fides. In Massachusetts, we have a special fondness for elected officials who remain firm in their convictions, but who see the wisdom in working with their ideological counterparts.

If voters can see past their anger to understand the importance of that approach, and the generational significance of the candidate who espouses it, the choice of Marco Rubio will be an easy one.