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 (Les AuCoin), 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.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

The extreme, over-the-top, illegal actions of one Donald Trump prompted the creation of something called “The Lincoln Project.”

On this election day, while we may not know national election results for several days, if not weeks, why would I write about something that may not matter for long.  Well, I believe it is timely to convey information about the initiatives like the Lincoln Project and compliment leaders for their strength and lack of timidity. 

Despite Trump, the fact is that there are Republicans who repudiate his leadership, if it can be called “leadership” at all.

The Lincoln Project was formed by several Republican consultants who had made their living working to elect candidates from that party.

But, with Trump, they could not countenance his behavior and his actdions, so they formed The Lincoln Project to go public with their opposition, which made them believe members of the public, if they knew the truth, also would repudiate the president and his core beliefs.

This is how the founders describe their quest:  “We do not undertake this task lightly nor from ideological preference.  Our many policy differences with national Democrats remain.  However, the priority for all patriotic Americans must be a shared fidelity to the Constitution and a commitment to defeat those candidates who have abandoned their constitutional oaths, regardless of party.  Electing Democrats who support the Constitution over Republicans who do not is a worthy effort.

Or this:  “Your house is on fire. Do you care who the firemen are?

“That is a centralquestion of the 2020 election.  Donald Trump has managed to do one thing no other president has done:  Bring Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and progressives, boomers and millennials together in unprecedented numbers to try to defeat him. For Americans who believe the president is a raging threat to democracy, purity tests are out.  Results are in.”

From the Lincoln Project, viral videos and tweets mocking his leadership, his intelligence and his patriotism are aimed both at Republican voters who are waveringand Trump himself.  They have attracted millions of dollars, via donors from both parties.  

“Donald Trump is so completely at odds with every institution in America and so completely at odds with anything that the Republican Party allegedly stood for:  The rule of law, constitutional fealty, institutions, norms, traditions, all of those things are out the window,” says Rick Wilson, a co-founder of the group. “So you’re either going to make a choice between Trump or this country. We made the choice for the country, even if it doesn’t immediately seem to fit with all of our ideological or political priors.”

“Trump is a narcissist and he cannot help but react to threats to his delicate psyche,” explains George Conway, a columnist, a Lincoln Project member, and, notably, the husband of Trump sycophant Kelly Anne Conway.

“Trump is a very sensitive, weak human being who cannot take criticism.”  The other factor, George Conway adds, is that “he can’t think ahead. He merely reacts to things. And what we do is take advantage of both of those psychological defects.”

All of this came to my mind – not to mention my fingers on the keyboard – as I thought about a charge leveled by one of my partners in my old lobbying and PR firm.  With a stern voice, he told me that all – yes, all – Republicans were to blame for aiding and abetting Trump.

I disagreed, saying that many Republicans have disavowed the worst president in U.S. history – Trump.  If I was a Republican, I would be one of those disavowers just like those in the Lincoln Project.  But, since I am an independent, I already have disavowed Trump – and I say that no matter who the opposition is.

Anyone-but-Trump is better than Trump.  So, my vote goes to Biden.