This is a period of realignment for the Republican coalition. Adapting to that realignment requires Republicans to recognize the real concerns that underlie the turmoil, to reconsider the GOP’s policy agenda, and to reevaluate what we thought we knew about the country. But the Republican Party will only be in the position to do that if it ignores the fanciful plans of party elites, whose disrespect for the voters is blinding them to reality.

Imposing a new candidate in Cleveland—a “fresh face,” in Karl Rove’s telling—would represent nothing less than an act of suicide on the part of the Republican Party. It would vindicate the wildest accusations of those who view the Republican establishment as inherently corrupt and craven, lacking any modicum of respect for their voters. It would insult the millions of Americans who have turned out to vote for Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz—an offense that would leave moderates, Independents, and the conservative base disgusted with their party to an unprecedented degree. It would shatter the party’s legitimacy.

Republicans should let the primary process play out as it always has, where the candidates for the nomination are those who run the race. Trump and Cruz are likely to enter the Republican convention with the lion’s share of delegates. Should Trump fail to reach the required number, the process could play out over multiple ballots. But it is the candidates for president who ought to be considered by the delegates on the floor, not a “white knight” chosen in a backroom deal and leveraged into the nomination by a motion from the chair.