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.

Various polls show that Donald Trump may not win re-election which, for me, would be a welcome result.

But two other factors are in play. The first is that, in political terms, it is an eternity until the election next November. There is no way to predict what could happen in seven months.

The second factor is that Trump may have a few advantages heading into the election despite his inadequate – not to mention unfailingly stupid — attempts to manage the coronavirus pandemic.

Gerald Seib, who writes the Capital Journal column for the Wall Street Journal, pointed out four potential Trump advantages in a piece published yesterday. Here they are, with, in each case, comments from me:

• “Trump can portray himself as the president best able to lead an economic recovery.”

Seib adds that “One prominent Democrat strategist frets privately: I worry that voters will think we need a businessperson to get out of the country’s financial mess.”

Comment: I say that, even if that were true – we need a businessperson – Trump would not be it. His business experience, like his tenure in the presidency, rests on a house of cards.

• “Some persuadable voters may be more disposed to Trump than commonly imagined.”

To make this point, Seib cites poll results that give Trump almost no margin for error as he tries to prompt voters to choose him. Many of these so-called “persuadable voters” are soft Republicans, Independents, young men and people who approve somewhat of Trump’s job performance, despite his abject failures.

So, Seib says they could end up voting for Trump.

Comment: I hope not. Make a better choice for America.

• “Trump knows how to win an unpopularity contest.”

Seib says that one of the secrets to Trump’s success is that “people don’t have to like him to vote for him.”

Comment: True enough. Last time around, when Trump won he had to go against Hillary Clinton, she even had more negatives that he did. This time, he will be competing against Joe Biden and his negatives will be no where near Clinton’s.

• “The Trump campaign has a cash advantage.”

While money isn’t everything in politics, it helps.

Comment: I continue to hope that character trumps (pardon the words) cash.

Seib is a solid writer and political analyst, no doubt smarter than me. But, I find his list of Trump advantages a bit strained at times, perhaps because I want Trump to lose the office he shouldn’t have won in the first place.

I will continue hoping that Trump is not able to capitalize on whatever strengths he supposedly has so we can have an occupant of the Oval Office who displays solid leadership credentials in a very though time in American history.