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.

The Washington Post carried a lead editorial the other day under this headline, “Donald Trump’s bet: We are all chumps.”

Well said, or rather, well written.

Every day, Donald Trump verifies that he has none of the qualities we look for in a President. None!

He believes he can be elected without sharing basic information about himself, including his tax and health records.

He shuns any discussion of public policy issues that would confront anyone in the Nation’s highest office.

Consider this quote from a column by Daniel Henninger from the Wall Street Journal:

“I would build a great wall. And nobody builds walls better than me, believe me. And I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border and I’ll have Mexico pay for that wall. Get ’em out of here. That’s right. Get ’em out of here. Nobody in politics talks like that. It violates what we now call ‘the political discourse.’”

He resorts, instead, to blowhard words about how important and competent he is – he knows more about ISIS, for example, than all of this nation’s military generals. His comments in the recent Commander-in-Chief forum put on by NBC News indicated that might fire a number a number of those military leaders if he gained the top office.

As Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank wrote in early September, “It’s difficult to think of a major political figure who has so belittled the U.S. military. Sunday is the 15^th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which ushered in a ‘support out troop’ spirit that has endured regardless of party or opinion of wars that followed. But Trump goes beyond the standard criticism of the president and civilian leaders to condemn the military itself.”

Plus, early in the Republican campaign, Trump, incredibly, slammed U.S. Senator and former Vietnam prisoner-of-war John McCain because “I like people who weren’t captured.”

Incredible!

Yet, despite all this bluster, many citizens in this country apparently believe Trump can do the job.  At least, current polling has him close to Clinton.

What we need in a Commander-in-Chief is a person of sound mind and reasoned judgment, someone who doesn’t pop off at the least provocation. At the same time, we need someone who will seek to bolster U.S. standing the world, which has suffered markedly in President Obama’s tenure, witness the recent cold shoulder he received at the G-20 Summit. And, we need someone who will support America’s existing allies and solicit new ones in an increasingly complex world.

This is a lot to ask of a President, but it is exactly what should be asked, in fact demanded, of leaders.

We could have an argument about whether Hillary Clinton is able to meet these substantial challenges, including with recent concerns about her health. But that would, at least, be an argument.

In the case of Trump, there is no argument. He is not up to the task.

So, let’s all avoid calling into the “chump” category and look intently and honestly at the record.