PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19TH 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.
If we needed another verification that President Donald Trump is a serial cheater, we got one recently when a story in the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) announced this, though, of course, any smart person like me would not need an announcement:
He cheats at golf, too.
So, call Trump “Pele,” a reference most young people would not recognize. For a quick explanation see below.
According to the WSJ, “A longtime sportswriter claims in a new book that President Trump frequently cheats at golf and likened Trump’s habit to a way of ‘showing you that he’s better than you.’
“He cheats like a mafia accountant. He cheats crazy. He cheats whether you’re watching or not. He cheats whether you like it or not.”
The reporter who write the story, Rick Reilly, recounted several vignettes from his new book “Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump.” He said Trump cheats, even against professional players.
Reilly goes on.
“Trump’s caddies also allegedly know to accommodate his penchant. He kicks the ball out of the rough so many times, the caddies call him ‘Pele,’ after the famous soccer player that persons my age remember. (Pele, who remains a towering figure in the sport of soccer, retired from competitive play in the 1970s.)
So, Trump’s “Pele” in golf exemplifies his approach to life and “public service,” though that term should never be applied to Trump.
Cheating is a way of life for him.
He lies about his age. He lies about his grades in college. He lies about Korea. He lies about China. He lies about size of his properties – and other stuff, if you get my drift. He lies about his tax returns.
He lies about all of his supposed achievements as it appears he is vying for another four years in office, perish the thought.
So, the moral of this story: Don’t believe anything Trump says.
Perspective from the 19th Hole 