They were -- horrors -- the elites and intellectuals of their day. Their ideas were truly radical for the time.Very true.
After writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson decided to rewrite the Bible, portraying Jesus as an Enlightenment figure.
Radical, to say the least.
The Jefferson Bible. He rewrote the New Testament without any supernatural events. He did not believe they happened. And he still was elected overwhelmingly for two terms. If the population of the time sampled the politics of today, they would find it milquetoast and dumbed down.