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.

Last night, I watched part of the movie, All the President’s Men, as it appeared on the television for who knows, the hundredth time.

What I watched caught my attention, for I was re-living a huge part of my past – and probably yours – the Watergate scandal.

To persons many these days, Watergate is just a name from the past. Not a reality. No problem, for time passes. But, for me, Watergate is a bit like the Vietnam War, a reality of my past that conjures up a huge dose of memories, both good and bad.

Without the Washington Post’s huge journalistic to uncover the Watergate scandal and the cover-up, who knows – we might never have known the extent of the poison in our political system, a poison that engulfed the White House and brought down President Richard Nixon (for good reason, I add). It also meant a number of his cronies spent time in jail.

For me, the movie conjured up these images:

• First, to put a positive spin on the movie, it chronicled solid journalism by the Washington Post. It’s something we don’t see today as many newspapers are dying, as some media outlets gravitate toward entertainment and controversy for their own sakes, and as the rise of social media often doesn’t even equate to solid journalism, if to journalism at all. Too bad. The Washington Post’s enterprise is worth noting, if not repeating.
• Second, Watergate captured our attention because we had no particular experience, at that time, with a government run amok. Guess what is happening today? The crimes of Watergate appear tame in comparison to what we see routinely out of the Trump Administration, as well as some unholy members of Congress. Scandal is part of our daily ritual of watching “news,” or what passes for news these days.
• Third, can we, as Americans, help to produce an honest, no-crimes-allowed political system in this country? I don’t know, but it is worth the effort in order to save this country’s political system from ruin.

And, based on what we see every day, that’s actually what is at stake – the future of our political system.

On the right, if that is where he actually is, President Trump violates political norms and conventions every day, perhaps even every Twitter-laden moment. Some of his actions constitute alleged crimes. Can we survive his indiscretions and his crimes?

On the left, can we tolerate far left radicals, including several who are running for president in 2020, who want to turn America into a socialist country?   Free health care for all. Free college for all. Re-build all buildings in this country according to some kind of “green new deal.” Bar businesses from being involved in politics.

Both right and left extremes portend ruin for this country.

All of this suggests that, when I notice that All the President’s Men is on TV again, I’ll watch the whole thing. It’s worth reflecting on our history to avoid simply repeating it again.