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.

Wall Street Journal columnist William A. Galston performed a huge public service this morning by outlining a list of tactics President Donald Trump always uses to achieve his goals – tactics that indicate that the end matters more than the means.

The list is very instructive. And, while Galston puts his tongue in cheek to suggest that all of us should employ the Trump tactics, if we did, it would make for a far harsher country.

Under the headline, “Trump’s Grim Handbook for Governance,” Galston describes Trump’s personal code in this way:

“With the possible exception of family, all relationships are at bottom transactional. Every man has a price, and so does every woman.

“There’s money, and then everything else. Money and morals are unrelated. Even if a Saudi leader ordered the assassination and dismemberment of a prominent dissident, this is no reason to halt arms sales to the monarchy. If American firms don’t get the contracts, someone else will. Why should we be chumps? If promoting democracy or simple decency costs money, what’s the point?

“The core of human existence is competition, not cooperation. The world is zero-sum: If I win, someone else must lose. I can either bend another to my will or yield to his.

“The division between friends and enemies is fundamental. We should do as much good as we can to our friends, and as much harm to our enemies.

Galston then outlines what he calls Trump’s five operating goals:

Rule 1: The end always justifies the means. Regardless of the path of destruction Trump leaves, he is always right if, in the end, he wins.

Rule 2: No matter the truth of accusations against you, deny everything.

Rule 3: Responding to criticism on its merits is pointless. Instead, challenge the motives and character of your critics. Their criticism isn’t sincere anyway: It’s all politics, the unending quest for dominance. If ridicule works, use it, even if it means caricaturing your adversaries by reducing them to their weakest trait….such as calling Jeb Bush “low energy.”

Rule 4: To win, you must arouse your supporters, and deepening divisions is the surest way to do it. Even if compromise could solve important problems, reject it whenever it threatens to reduce the fervor of your base. No gain in the public good is important enough to justify the loss of power.

Rule 5: It is wonderful to be loved, but if you must choose, it is better to be feared than loved. The desire for love puts you at the mercy of those who can withhold it; creating fear puts you on offense. You cannot control love, but you can control fear.

Galston goes on to write, “Politics is not like figure skating. You get no points for style. You either get your way or you don’t. Nothing else matters.

Critics of Mr. Trump’s code – I am one of them, as is Galston – hodl that the distinction between anything-is-acceptable ends and rationale means is critical. Rationale means is what ought to separate this country from thugs.

I continue to contend that decency and honesty matter – in politics and in life. Trump could care less.