Presidents and most governors have unchecked pardon power. That’s a king-like power, and it doesn’t belong in a republic.
Better that the legislature have the ability to override a pardon, just like they have the ability to override a veto. Checks and balances. If I ever get my time machine working, I’m going to mention this to Thomas Jefferson and the rest of the gang.
Everyone now bemoaning the fact that the Texas governor does not have unchecked pardon power will be glad that is the case the next time that a Democrat gets elected governor and he is unable to issue a blanket pardon of every violent felon in prison because he claims they are all just poor victims of systemic racism.
Usually it is democrat politicians who believe that they will always be in power so the old saying “what goes around comes around” will never apply to them. That is why Harry Reid felt safe in unilaterally abolishing the Senate filibuster over presidential appointments. Less than one year later, democrats lost control of the Senate. Two years after that, Trump was elected President, Republicans controlled both houses of Congress, and President Trump was able to push all of his appointments through on a party line vote.