I voted for Dave Reichert for governor and he lost.

I don’t like Bob Ferguson, partly because of a personal experience I, as a columnist, had with him. I don’t like him because he is too liberal on environmental issues. Finally, Ferguson seems more interested in making a name for himself on the national level so he can run for national office than he is interested in serving the people of the state of Washington.

Now that Donald Trump has won the presidency, I’ve changed my mind. I’m glad Ferguson will be our new governor. Why the change in attitude? The answer lies in the question of checks and balances.

The framers of the U.S. Constitution were very concerned about the abuse of power by King George III which led to the American Revolution. King George III was autocratic, and wanted absolute obedience and loyalty. He believed in “Divine Right of Kings”, which is defined in religious terms to mean: “If you question the king, you are questioning God. God will punish you for your rebellion.” That punishment didn’t come from God, but from the monarch who used the power of the state to enforce obedience to the monarch’s decisions.

The framers of our U.S. Constitution were very concerned with the abuse of power by a national leader. As a result, they set up a system of checks and balances by creating three branches of government: Executive, legislative, and judicial. Each branch was given power to stop or check the actions of the other two branches.

For the last 236 years since the ratification of the Constitution in 1788, the system has worked fairly well. We have preserved and actually increased our freedoms. Since then, slaves were freed and given citizenship. Black males were given the right to vote. In 1920, women were given the right of suffrage, as were Native Americans in 1924. During the Vietnam War, 18-year-olds achieved this right. There are many more examples that the system has worked to avoid tyranny.

Now we are in the age of Donald Trump’s second term as president. Trump has openly stated that he will punish political opponents and gather power to himself at the expense of the rights and freedoms found in the Bill of Rights.

Both Houses of Congress are now controlled by Republicans who have shown no desire or will to stand up to Trump. Most are cowards. The Supreme Court has six conservatives who have already approved Trump’s immunity to any presidential actions, even in the face of his attempt to overthrow the 2020 election by inciting an insurrection.

Checks and balances on the national level seem to be defunct. How far that goes remains to be seen. There is one final check that came into being because states existed before the U.S. Constitution. Under the Constitution, states have the power to resist a tyrannical executive administration. It’s called federalism.

That’s why I’m glad that Bob Ferguson has been elected governor. He’s stubborn, self-righteous, and dogmatic. But we are faced with an arrogant narcissistic president.

I’m glad I live in a blue state with a blue governor who has presidential ambitions. Ferguson’s self-interest, combined with his attorney general, Nick Brown, who has also vowed to go after Trump administration decisions and actions, are what we need to act as a check on the power of a national tyrant. The other federal branches with their checks and balances will likely fail us. I hope I’m wrong, but fear that we will see our rights and freedoms eroded over the next four or more years.

Living in a blue state means that the vestiges of representative democracy will more likely be preserved, or at least be delayed. Living in a red state means that their residents rights will be diminished even more than they already have been, unless they are rich, white, and already have power.

Prepare for lawsuits against the Trump administration by the state of Washington. Be grateful. Let’s hope Ferguson and Brown win those lawsuits for the good of the nation and the state.