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 answer to the question in this blog headline:  1986.  Yes, 1986!          

So, it’s been more than 35 years since a Republican held the state’s top political job.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I had the privilege of working with and for the last Republican governor, Victor Atiyeh, who was elected for a second term in 1982, thus serving until his term ended in 1986.

I remember the 1982 election well.  As votes were tabulated, I was up in the governor’s suite at the Hilton Hotel with the governor, his wife, Delores, and campaign manager, Denny Miles, among others.

Before all the votes were counted in days before mail voting in Oregon, Miles, a friend then and a friend to this day, whispered in my ear that the final tracking poll had Governor Atiyeh up with 62 per cent of the vote.

The final result?  62 per cent.

As coincidence would have it, the Democrat Atiyeh  beat, Ted Kulongoski, became a friend many years later as both of us worked in state government together, including in relation to management’s side of state employee strikes.

For Atiyeh, I had various obs for several years, with some of that time being his press secretary.  It was a highlight of my professional career.

So, as we approach the next gubernatorial election in Oregon – and it is almost assured that a Democrat will win again — I thought about three major credentials Governor Atiyeh exhibited:

• With the Governor, what you saw was what you got
• For the Governor, truth and context were always key barometers for his actions
• And, with the Governor, there was no concern about who got credit

Just think if those were considered important credentials for public office today.  We’d have better persons in those offices.

I also remember that a partner of mine in our lobbying and public relations firm, a long-time Democrat, said Atiyeh was the easiest governor to approach on issues.  He didn’t ask or care about political party affiliation.  And, I add that, when I came to work for state government in Oregon, he nor anyone on his staff about my political label. 

Coming as I did from working on the staff of a Democrat congressman, they could have asked.  They didn’t.  And it didn’t matter.

A far cry from the dissension-riddled party affiliation issue these days.

I thought about the Atiyeh record because we are entering the time when there will be a new statewide election – and there will be a new governor in 2023 because the incumbent, Democrat Kate Brown, is term-limited.

Several individuals have announced they are running and a number of others have said they are thinking about it.

So, as we take note of those who enter the ring, it makes sense to consider issues beyond party affiliation, gender, political platforms.  It also makes sense to consider the type of person we want to serve in the state’s top political job where he or she could become a leader.

Given the three credentials listed above, as well as many others I could cite, it would be good if we could end up with someone like Governor Atiyeh.