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 to 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 press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon, as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as 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.

This is a new topic for me on my blog post.

Consider it to be a respite from blogging on the impeachment process.

Does President Donald Trump like dogs?

On one hand, I don’t care what the answer is.

On another hand, I suspect the answer is no.

Witness this piece that ran in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago.

“Trump participated in a Rose Garden ceremony honoring Conan, the hero canine who helped trap and kill Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

“The tribute was especially unusual, since Trump, who has never owned a pet, is clearly no fan of man’s best friend.

“Former Republican rival Marco Rubio was ‘sweating like a dog’ during a 2016 presidential debate, candidate Trump asserted. He has suggested that a female challenger was ‘barking like a dog,’ said that Republican challenger Carly Fiorina had a ‘face like a dog,’ and described a cabinet secretary being ‘fired like a dog.’

“So it was surprising to see Trump hailing Conan on the White House lawn as ‘brilliant,’ ‘smart,’ ‘excellent,’ ‘fantastic, and an ‘incredible fighter.’

“Trump awarded Conan a medal and a plaque for his outstanding service.

“What the Belgian Malinois did not get from POTUS was a treat or even a head pat; Trump left the touchy-feely part of the ceremony to Vice President Mike Pence, a self-described ‘pet person.’

“The significance of the Conan tribute: It’s a reminder of how closely Trump follows opinion polls. Half of all American households have dogs. And last week, Trump signed into law another measure aimed at pleasing pet-lovers — the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, which makes mistreatment of animals a federal crime punishable with stiff fines and up to seven years in jail.”

Okay, so Trump gets credit for honoring a dog.

But I’ll bet, if the dog had a choice, he would have decided not to go to the White House.

And, if the dog had another choice, he’d vote – doggedly, I say – in favor of impeachment.