Two days after the general election, a Democratic member of our state’s congressional delegation publicly offered this advice to Washington’s governor-elect Bob Ferguson:
“If you want to stand up to Trump,” he said during a television interview, “I suggest you don’t ever mention him. I suggest you govern well. We have many challenges … crime, homelessness, drug abuse, just inefficient and ineffective government in too many places.
“If we want to offer an alternative to Trump, then offer an alternative. Govern. Deal with the challenges we face.”
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith’s suggestion didn’t end there. “Let’s stop with the ‘…I’m going to stop Trump,’” he added. “Great. OK. What you are you doing for the state of Washington?”
That same day, Ferguson did the opposite of what Congressman Smith recommended.
For the past year, he told reporters, he had been preparing for the possibility that former President Trump would become President-elect Trump.
His comments led to headlines like this: “Ferguson and other WA Democrats prepare for new era of showdowns with Trump.”