PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as a Congressional press secretary in Washington, D.C., an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

With that headline, you could cite a number of factors these days.

But let me list just one.

If you cannot believe what political candidates say, how can you have any faith they will act properly when they get into office. The answer? You cannot.

Consider one Donald Trump. Nearly every day a new fact emerges that gives the lie to what he said yesterday – or the day before. This is either because, (a) he says what he thinks off the cuff and, thus, engages mostly in bluster without any regard for accuracy or context, or (b) because he is innately dishonest.

Probably both.

Or, consider Hillary Clinton.

Here’s what Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel wrote the other day:

“Hillary Clinton’s campaign has been forced to acknowledge over the past week that the former secretary of state did not, as she had claimed, turn over all her work-related email to the State Department. The new story is that her deletion of these emails was an oversight. Team Clinton is hoping therefore that you won’t hear the story of Rajiv K. Fernando, which would suggest the oversight tale to be yet another untruth.” [Fernando had no qualifications for the position he was given, other than that he was a large giver to the Clinton Foundation.]

Again, here’s what Strassel wrote:

“This is how Hillary Clinton operates. Donald Trump, for all the trouble his out-loud musings cause him, can nonetheless take credit for perfectly distilling, in five short words, what would be the defining nature of another Clinton presidency: The politics of personal profit. Give money to the Clinton Foundation; get special favors. Figure out a way to slip the Clintons some speech money, or cattle-futures trades, or donations; get rewarded in the political arena.”

For me, a problem with both candidates is that you cannot believe what they say because they could be – or probably are – lying. So, how can you apply any credence to what they will once in office.

And, be clear about this: One of the two serial liars, Trump or Clinton, will be the next President of United States.

The choice has been called one between evils. I don’t intent to choose either, which means, some will say, that I will throw away my vote. To which I say, so be it.