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.

Seek controversy.

Avoid controversy.

Two options.

During my time dealing with the media in a 40-year professional career, I followed a simple axiom:  Limit or even avoid controversy.

• I advised managers I worked with in state government in that way. 

• I advised lobby clients in that way. 

• I advised public relations clients in that way.

Would I do the same today?

Well, that is my first instinct.

I almost always thought that keeping my clients out of controversial trouble was better than the reverse.  Honesty and forthrightness were better than becoming defensive, aggressive and testy.

However, as I look at an increasingly violent political world these days, I note that many political figures work to engender controversy, not avoid it.  They must believe controversy helps them achieve their objectives – and, if one of the objectives is to make enemies of those who don’t agree with you, then controversy works.

But, controversy, for its own sake, doesn’t improve the political context so public policy decisions can be made in a way that benefits the country.

Consider these examples of controversy seemingly for its own sake.

SENATOR RAND PAUL:  Paul has gone after Dr. Anthony Fauci by generating controversy.  He has used his website to generate political contributions by advocating that Fauci be fired. 

TRUMP ACOLYTES MARK MEADOWS AND KEVIN McCARTHY:  They use controversy to impugn the character and motives of anyone who disagrees them, including members of the U.S. House Committee that is investigating the January 6, 2021 “insurrection.”

[As an aside, I put the word “insurrection” in quotes because of a game going on now which is to dispute that the January 6 insurrection was exactly that.  Anyone with eyes and ears could see and hear that it was a violent attempt to take down the country – an “insurrection.”]

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:  In nearly all his actions, he covets returning to the nation’s highest political office by not only engendering controversy but inflaming it.

If President Joe Biden and Democrats say one thing, Trump says another.  If someone proposes actions against him, Trump skewers them in over-the-top words.

For my part, as a 40-year veteran of public policy processes, I like words, phrases and actions that seek and promote middle ground.  That don’t set out to inflame controversy.

Just call me Poly-Anna.

Plus, another virtue of my way of doing public policy is that we wouldn’t have to contend again with Trump.  A worthy end in and of itself.