Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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 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.

Okay, this is not a blog about Donald Trump.  I have had enough of him to last me for a lifetime, though, I suppose, I’ll write about him again as I try to understand how people could vote for him.

On to another topic.

I was reflecting the other day on some of my more than 40 years in professional life before retirement.

To do that, I tried to remember what I could label “accomplishments” in my 15 years as an Oregon state government manager or my 25 years as a state lobbyist in Oregon.

But, instead, I turned to remember some of the officials from whom I learned many management lessons – call them mentors.  Better to reflect on folks who helped me along than on accomplishments.

So, here is a list, where the names appear in no order of priority:

Vic Atiyeh:  It was a pleasure to work for Atiyeh, the last Republican governor in Oregon, now more than 40 years ago.  I could say a lot about my time with Atiyeh, but this stands out for me:  Victor – that’s what we called him when he allowed us to do so – never cared who got the credit when something good happened in Oregon.  He didn’t want it for himself; he wanted to parse it out to those who contributed to the result.  Good for any politician! 

Joe Blumel and E. Dean Anderson:  These, respectively, were the president and vice president for university relations when I had the privilege to work at Portland State University. 

They let me be myself as director of information services, a phrase that essentially meant “public and media relations.”

It was Blumel who sent me to the Capitol in Salem, Oregon to be what he called “the eyes and ears of Portland State,” with, he added, “no mouth.” 

The latter was because the Oregon Higher Education Chancellors Office – it no longer exists – was assigned to be the only entity that was supposed to talk with legislators on behalf of higher education institutions in Oregon.

But Blumel’s assignment gave me a start at the Capitol where I ended up working for almost 40 years.

Anderson also was great with and for me.  We shared Scandinavian heritage, so that helped us relate well to each other – he as boss and me as one of his staff.

I remember one time when he took me to the annual Scandinavian Dinner in Portland.  The menu included “lute-fisk,” and, if you don’t know what that is, so much the better.  If you eat it – it is made by soaking dried stockfish in lye, then water, and finally steaming the remaining guts until they flake.  The name comes from the Norwegian word lute, which means “lye.”

If you happen to eat it, you don’t want to eat again for a week!

With the letters “fisk” in the name, perhaps my forebears invented lute-fisk.

Bob Watson:  When I moved from Washington, D.C. back to Oregon, Watson was director of the Corrections Division, then part of the Oregon Department of Human Resources (DHR) where I was going to serve as assistant director.

He was on the panel when I interviewed to get the job at DHR and I remember that he asked me a simple question, with profound implications:  What is the definition of “news,” he asked.

Rather than report an explicit definition, I answered this way:  News, I said, is what reporters and editors (and sometimes publishers) say it is.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

Beyond other duties, I was in charge of media relations for the prison system, so Watson and I became good friends, even as we discussed the “news” business.

Another interesting fact.  When I joined DHR, there were three state prisons, all located in Salem.  Today, many years later, there are 14 prisons spread around the state, which is an indication of what I could call a “lock ‘em up” strategy in the state.  Which is meaningful because a every dollar to run prisons is a state “general fund dollar” (read, yours and my state tax money).

And that puts pressure on other “general fund users,” such as K-12 education, higher education, and social services.

Leo Hegstrom and Jerry Brown:  When I joined DHR, these two, respectively, were the director and deputy director of what was then the largest state government agency.  They taught me a lot about managing an agency, always focusing on facts, not fiction.

All three of us also developed a solid relationship with the governor, Vic Atiyeh, for whom we worked.  We met with him weekly in Cabinet Meetings – many of Atiyeh’s successors did not attend Cabinet Meetings, though he usually did — as well as with the governor alone in his personal office.

This process enabled me to have a good relationship, as well as ongoing respect, for Atiyeh.

Bill Wyatt and Mike Thorne:  At different times, these two officials served as executive director of the Port of Portland, a lobbying client of my firm.  The good news is that they relied on my firm’s advice and counsel, which meant that, among other things, we got things done at the Capitol for the Port.

One of the most important was gaining funds to pay the costs of deepening the Columbia River channel so bigger ships could ply their way off the coast to ports in and around Portland.

Fred Miller:  He was my mentor in the Oregon Executive Department where he functioned as the COO of state government.

Miller relied on three of us to help him with that function – Jon Yunker, the budget director (who became one of my best friends in state government), Karen Roach, who handled personnel and labor relations, and me, who handled public and legislative relations.  A solid group of managers who found a good way to way to work together, not at cross purposes.

Pat McCormick:  He was one of my partners at Conkling Fiskum & McCormick, the name we chose for our firm when we got started in 1990.

McCormick, still a friend today, taught me a lot about the art of communication.

Tom Kennedy:  After working as Governor Atiyeh’s press secretary, I moved over to become deputy director of the Oregon Economic Development Department.  There, I reported to Kennedy.  He knew more about marketing than I did, so I learned a lot from him, even as he assigned me to relate to the Oregon Legislature on behalf of the department. 

At one point, Kennedy, who traveled a lot to Japan on marketing trips, said he didn’t want to head off to France when the State of Oregon was asked to send someone to a French graduate school to talk about how Oregon diversified its economy.

Kennedy would have been the logical choice, but he asked me to make the trip.

Of course, my wife accompanied me and we had a solid experience in France to tout Oregon’s move from being dependent on logging and fishing to aiding the technology and tourism industries, even as the area of France where we were – the Clermont Ferrande region – was setting out to diversity from being almost wholly dependent on Michelin.

Gerry Thompson:  When I served as Governor Atiyeh’s press secretary, I reported to Thompson, the governor’s chief of staff.  We have remained friends to this day, often reflecting on the good times with a governor who valued all of Oregon.

Thompson let me be myself in my job, though always with proper oversight from her.

One issue we have reflected on since we left government was the “Rajneesh affair” in Oregon when the leader of a commune from India, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, led a group of cultists to buy property in Eastern Oregon and take over the local government there.

For Atiyeh, Thompson led the effort to blunt the Bhagwan’s intrusion into Oregon and she I still reflect on the difficulty of doing so, though the Bhagwan and his followers eventually left under a cloud.  

Neil Bryant:  Bryant, a senator from Bend, became the best legislative friend I made at the Capitol over my years as a lobbyist.  He and I still are friends today.

At least one fact set Bryant apart when he served as a senator:  He had a distinct ability to bring differing interests together to hammer out a solid solution somewhere in the middle rather than on either extreme.  It is a lost art today in Salem.

Kerry Tymchuk:  Formerly State of Oregon director for U.S. Senator Gordon Smith, Tymchuk joined my firm when Smith lost.  Kerry and I were able to work together on several projects, before Kerry moved on to the job he now holds, Executive Director of the Oregon Historical Society where – no surprise — he has done a great job.

Tymchuk is a great writer, so one of the lessons I learned from him – pay close attention to the written word.

Morris Dirks:  I end with a few words about my relationship with Dirks – we are like brothers – which started when he was on the staff where I attend church in Salem, Oregon, Salem Alliance, and I was on the lay leadership team.

When Dirks became senior pastor, I worked with him on the Governing Board.  That’s when we became like brothers and I learned a lot from Dirks about how to lead a vibrant Christian life and to lead others on the journey.

So, in conclusion, one of the best ways to reflect on a professional life – mine as I near my seventh year in retirement – is to focus, not on specific achievements, but, rather, on individuals who helped you along the way.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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 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.

Democrats in Washington, D.C., soon to be out of power, have made two gestures recently that are worth commending.

And, by “gestures,” I mean action that display support for democracy and a peaceful changing of the guard in America.

The two gestures:

• Kamala Harris, after it was clear she lost to Donald Trump – a result I did not want – called Trump to congratulate him.

• President Joe Biden invited Trump to a meeting at the White House, which Trump was doing as he also visited Congress.

Note that Trump did neither of these gestures as he lost last time around to Joe Biden.

He should have, but, instead, he mounted an insurrection to try to stay in power, which was antithetical to the way democracy works in this country.

Here is how the Wall Street Journal described the Biden-Trump meeting:

“President-elect  Trump met with President Biden in the Oval Office with the two leaders shaking hands and emphasizing a peaceful handover of power, a moment that stood in contrast to the discord that followed Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump.

“’Congratulations and I’m looking forward to having a smooth transition,’ Biden said Wednesday.  ‘Welcome — welcome back.’

“Trump thanked the president.  ‘Politics is tough and it’s, [in] many cases, not a very nice world but it is a nice world today,’ he said, adding that the change in power would be ‘as smooth as it can get.’  They didn’t take questions from reporters before continuing the meeting, which lasted roughly two hours.  Trump also didn’t address the huge crowd of reporters waiting outside the White House when he departed around 1 p.m.”

Still, Maureen Dowd in the New York Times added this bit of clarity:

“It is hard to watch Donald Trump be gracious, because he is gracious only when he wins, and that’s not a good lesson for the children of America.  When he loses, he tries to burn the democracy down.”

That’s true about Trump.  When he lost, he tried hard, violence and all, to stay in power, even threatening to kill those who opposed his bid. 

Now, Dowd says, as the winner Trump, comes across as “gracious,” which might have been the first time in his life he has displayed that trait.

So, I believe we should commend Harris and Biden for their gestures, even as we hope, down the road, that Trump learns about the way to conduct democracy, if, he doesn’t want to continue that approach to government in the United States.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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 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.

I borrowed this blog headline from a column by Dana Milbank who writes for the Washington Post.

During the recent presidential campaign, Milbank warned against the excesses of one Donald Trump.  Now we are seeing those excesses.

It’s why many of us, with Milbank, “gape.”

It’s as if Trump tries to think of something hugely outlandish, then does it.  Then, his MAGA – Make America Great Again group, which is a stupid turn of phrase – falls in line, no matter the consequences.

With Milbank, just consider for a moment some of the prospective appointments Trump has made over the last few days”

• Matt Gaetz for Attorney General:  Say what?  A now-former U.S. representative, Gaetz, has been under fire almost all the time for terrible conduct, including an investigation for alleged sexual activity with under-age girls.  His method of operation is to be controversial and to hope it works for him, which it has to this point.

Many commentators are saying that, given all his fights with senators on both sides of aisle, plus an almost total lack of experience in legal law, Gaetz may have trouble being confirmed.

It appears he doesn’t care because his first act upon being announced by Trump was to resign his seat in the House.  Perhaps, for the good of all, he’ll walk off into the sunset.

• Tulsi Gabbard for director of National Intelligence:  She has no experience running a major agency and has been quoted providing a number of off-kilter descriptions of U.S intelligence operations.  For example, her parroting of Russian propaganda was so reckless that Senator Mitt Romney called it “treasonous.”

• Pete Hegseth for director of the Defense Department:   A former congressman, he was a Fox News weekend co-host and also lobbied Trump to pardon military service members accused of war crimes.  He has no managerial experience and just five days ago said “we should not have women in combat roles” because men are “more capable.”

Late news on Hegseth is that, a few years ago, he was investigated for sexual assault, though no charges were filed.  Still, there was a report in the Washington Post that the Trump clan was reconsidering the Hegseth nomination, which would be ironic given that Trump himself has been found guilty of sexual assault.

If Gaetz, Gabbard and Hegseth weren’t enough, Trump went on to say he would appoint Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Kennedy has claimed anti-depressants cause school shootings, chemicals cause people to become transgender, and vaccines cause autism. Who knows what Kennedy will do when he takes the helm at HHS.

The Washington Post puts it this way:

“Trump’s decision to tap Gaetz for attorney general, Gabbard for intelligence and Hegseth for defense (and Kennedy for HHS) will test the Republican-led Senate’s fealty to the president-elect. 

“…Trump’s decision to choose Gabbard, Gaetz and Hegseth (and later Kennedy) stunned senators and some of his own advisers, setting up multiple uphill confirmation battles that will test the incoming president’s political clout in the Senate, where his party is expected to hold 53 seats.”

So, here we go with the Trump administration in waiting.  And, when I use the word “administration” to apply to a president, I always put the “a” in capital letters, such as the “Biden Administration.”

With Trump, I decline to do so because what he is doing is not administration.  It is flying by the seat of his pants – or, perhaps more accurately, acting like what he really wants to be, which is a reality TV studio host.

The gravity of Trump’s nominations illustrate why wants the Senate to enable “recess appointments.”  That’s a way to subvert the normal Senate confirmation process.

Here is how the confirmation process works if it is honored.  The Constitution restrains the president’s appointments by giving the Senate the power to confirm, or not, his nominees.  Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 76 wrote that this provides “an excellent check upon a spirit of favoritism in the president, and would tend greatly to prevent the appointment of unfit characters.”

If Gaetz is nominated (as Trump promises), Republican senators could follow through on threats to vote no.  Thus, Trump’s interest in bypassing them through “recess appointments.”

In conclusion, leave it to columnist Milbank to find a silver lining in the current black clouds:

“There is some good news in the way Trump has produced mayhem and confusion right from the start.  One of the greatest concerns about Trump’s second term was that he would be more competent this time around.  But we can already see that there is no learning curve for Trump.  His administration is going to be just as incompetent as it was last time — maybe more so.”

And, I add that I hope incompetence comes home to roost for Trump.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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 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.

When my wife bought me a copy of the 25^th anniversary edition of a great book – “A Season in Dornoch” – I knew what would happen.

For about the 25^th time, I would read the book again.

That’s what this book does to you – it lures you in to re-discover golf in the home of golf, Scotland.  And, there, one of the best courses is Royal Dornoch (see below). 

Reading the book again prompts you to emember your love of golf, even more than you did before you got your hands on this gem, written by acclaimed golf writer, Lorne Rubenstein.

Kudos to Back Nine Press for publishing the book again.

Here is the on-line summary for the anniversary edition:

“The town of Dornoch, Scotland, lies at nearly the same latitude as Juneau, Alaska.  Though the town is bit too small and remote to host a British Open, it has hardly diminished Royal Dornoch’s mystique or renown.

“In an influential piece for The New Yorker in 1964 (and now included in this edition), Herbert Warren Wind wrote, ‘It is the most natural course in the world. No golfer has completed his education until he has played and studied Royal Dornoch.’

“The author of ‘A Season in Dornoch,’ Rubenstein, spent a summer in Dornoch to re-discover the natural charms of the game he loves.  But, in the Scottish highlands, he also found a people shaped by the harshness of the land and the difficulty of drawing a living from it, and still haunted by a historic wrong inflicted on their ancestors nearly two centuries before.

“Rubenstein met many people of great thoughtfulness and spirit, eager to share their worldviews, their life stories, and a wee dram or two.  He came to understand how the game of golf reflects the values, character, and history of the people who brought it into the world.

“A ‘Season in Dornoch’ is both the story of one man’s immersion in the game of golf and an exploration of the world from which it emerged.

“Part travelogue, part portraiture, part good old-fashioned tale of matches played and friendships made, it takes us on an unforgettable journey to a marvelous, moody, mystical place.”

By the way, as for the “wee dram,” I am not a lover of whisky.  But, after a cold on a course in Scotland (where you don’t ask if it’s windy and raining, you just go play golf), a wee dram does its job – it warms you up quickly.

So it is that I read the book again here, in La Quinta, California, where I sit far from the Scotland’s highlands which do beckon me back, even if just in my mind.

I also rue the day several years ago when sickness required my wife and me to cancel a month-long stay in the town of Dornoch, which we had booked for a couple reasons – (a) the general lure of the place, in part due to my wife’s heritage because her parents emigrated to the U.S. from Scotland, and (b) my desire to return to a place we had visited two times previously, but only for a day or two each time.

Still, I got to play of the best golf courses in the world, Royal Dornoch, which has earned its “royal” name, as well as received high plaudits from solid pro golfers such as Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw.

In the anniversary edition of “A Season in Dornoch,” the late Sean Connery wrote a forward before he died because he, too, loved Royal Dornoch.  An “afterward” includes excerpts from the 1964 book by the esteemed golf writer Herbert Warren Wind entitled “North to the Links of Dornoch.”

But, for this blog, I rely on the words of an introduction to “A Season in Dornoch” written by another acclaimed golf writer, Stephen Proctor.

His words below capture the lure of golf in Scotland, golf in the small town of Dornoch, golf in the words of Rubenstein, and golf in terms of aspirations for me as I consider the basic dran of the game I love without, for example, always having to keep score.

Thus, Proctor writes:

• “Rubenstein was an excellent golfer, a man who knew intimately the agony and ecstasy golfers experience during a round.”

• “Even as they were coming to grips with the region’s history of turmoil, Rubenstein and his wife, Nell, (who accompanied him on his four-month sojourn in Dornoch which produced his book) found themselves succumbing to the charms that have drawn so many to Dornoch.  They slowed down, let go of the urgency that drove life back in Toronto, and took time to savor the beauty of the landscape all around them; from the hills resplendent in purple heather to the golden sands of Dornoch beach.”

• “More and more often, Rubenstein found himself doing the things that made him love golf in the first place.  Playing alone at sunrise or sunset.  Playing by feel and sight, rather than by yardages.  Playing the ball on the ground, rather than through the air.  Playing beside the sea, in rain or wind, often with a half set.”

• In one game against a long-time pro golfer friend, “Rubenstein played with a half-set slung over his shoulder, never bothering to keep score.  Discussion with the pro along the way focused on the history of the game, the strategy of the holes, tricks for crafting certain shots, and the beauty of the setting in which the two found themselves.  Golf as it was meant to be played:  For the purse joy of it.”

So, if you want to read Rubenstein’s great words about golf, get his book.  It will have the potential to do what it did for Rubenstein 25 years ago in the Scottish highlands – renew his love for the game itself.

And, it has done the same for me.

………This is mostly a reprint of a blog I wrote a couple years ago.  It is worth noting again how dogs are valuable, including in war……..

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 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.

Well, the answer to the question posed in this blog headline is easy.

As I traveled overseas for our vacation a few years ago, the first stop being Amsterdam, I was able to watch movies on a screen on the back of the seat in front of me on the Delta Airlines flight.

And, I watched a two-part “Seal Team” program.  In both episodes, there was a dog joining the members of the team on a mission.

Yes, a dog!

One, tethered to his trainer, jumped out of an airplane.  Yes, jumped!  But, I also understand that the well-trained dogs can jump out on their own, not tethered to a handler.

So, I become interested in the subject – dogs on major military missions.

As always, Mr. Google provided useful information.

“Just as the Navy SEALS and other elite special forces are the sharp point of the American military machine, so too are their dogs at the top of a canine military hierarchy.

“In all, the U.S. military currently has about 2,800 active-duty dogs deployed around the world.

“Navy SEAL dogs, or SEAL dogs for short, have been used extensively in various missions carried out by the U.S. Navy SEAL teams.  These dogs are highly trained to perform a wide range of tasks, including search and rescue, tracking, explosives detection, and more.

“A man’s best friend is also a Navy SEAL’s best friend.  SEAL teams have often utilized animals from Dolphins to K9’s.  Most canines used by the elite special forces branch are Belgian Malinois.  A slightly smaller, lighter, and faster cousin of the German Shepard.  Both dogs have high intelligence.”

Compared to German Shepherds, a Belgian Malinois is much easier to take on missions because of its size, allowing Navy SEALs to carry the dog everywhere.

SEAL Dogs will also skydive on a mission.  Their handler will strap the SEAL dog to their chest and jump.  Or, get this – sometimes dogs jump solo.

Incredible!

To see a dog jump out of an airplane as occurred on one TV episode, is a sight to behold.  I would not make such a jump!

The dogs carry out a wide range of specialized duties for the military teams to which they are attached.

• With a sense of smell 40 times greater than a human’s, the dogs are trained to detect and identify both explosive material and hostile or hiding humans.
• SEAL Dogs can be equipped with video cameras and other recording devices.  Their small size and skill sets combined with senses allow them to reach areas SEALs can’t on missions.
• Like human SEALS, the training the dogs go through is intensive and arduous; only 1 per cent of candidates graduate.  They must learn how to ignore their instincts and follow the orders of their handlers.  There must be a complete sense of trust between the two.
• Dogs have to be able to swim a distance that takes them to where they can no longer see the shore.
• They have to be comfortable around gunfire
• They have to show they are mentally capable of their job (yes; just like the human SEALS, the dogs must have a high level of mental toughness and psychological stability)
• They have to navigate through combat environments
• And back to an earlier point – they have to be comfortable jumping out of an airplane, either on their own, or strapped to the chest of a handler

Please, Google provided a summary of some missions for SEAL dogs:

• Operation Neptune Spear:  In 2011, a SEAL team used a dog named Cairo to help take down Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.  Cairo was trained to detect explosives and was used to sweep the compound where bin Laden was hiding.
• Operation Iraqi Freedom:  SEAL dogs were deployed to Iraq to assist with bomb detection and other missions.
• Operation Enduring Freedom:  SEAL dogs were also used in Afghanistan to detect improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and to track down insurgents.
• Operation Red Wings:  In 2005, a SEAL team used a dog named Remco during a mission in Afghanistan.  [Remco was killed in action, but his bravery and sacrifice were honored with a posthumous award.]

I am a dog lover, having one of my own, Callaway, a miniature poodle, thus not a candidate for SEAL dog school.  Neither was his uncle, Hogan, our first dog.

But, the dog lover part of me has found a new-found respect for SEAL dogs.

Semper Fi!

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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 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.

Okay, I should find other stuff to write about.  But here is another summary of why Donald Trump won and Kamala Harris lost.

Of course, I add that I think the country lost, too, with a felon heading to White House to wreak more damage on America.

The bottom line is that gravity – and gravity alone — should have brought Trump down.  For anyone else, it would have.  For Trump, no.

Despite all his personal failures, he rose, defying the normal forces of nature.

Consider the debate between Trump and Harris.

According to several national newspapers, Trump’s chief pollster, Tony Fabrizio, has seen just about everything in his three races working for the controversy-stoking former president.  But, post-debate, even he seemed to be bracing for bad news.

Trump had just debated Vice President Harris, repeatedly taking her bait, wasting time litigating his crowd sizes, and spreading baseless rumors about pet-eating immigrants.

Fabrizio had predicted to colleagues that brutal media coverage of Trump’s performance in a debate watched by 67 million people would lift Harris in the polls.  He was right about the media coverage but wrong about the rest.  His first post-debate poll shocked him:  Harris had gained on some narrow attributes, like likability.  But Trump had lost no ground in the contest.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Fabrizio said on a call with senior campaign leaders, according to two participants.

Here’s more from media coverage:

“It was yet more proof — as if more were needed — of Trump’s durability over nearly a decade in politics and of his ability to defy the normal laws of gravity.

“He overcame seemingly fatal political vulnerabilities — four criminal indictments, three expensive lawsuits, conviction on 34 felony counts, endless reckless tangents in his speeches — and transformed at least some of them into distinct advantages.

“How he won in 2024 came down to one essential bet:  That his grievances could meld with those of the MAGA movement, and then with the Republican Party, and then with more than half the country.

“His mug shot became a best-selling shirt.  His criminal conviction inspired $100 million in donations in one day.  The images of him bleeding after a failed assassination attempt became the symbol of what supporters saw as a campaign of destiny.”

Then, this from the Wall Street Journal:  “Harris campaign optimism was a sign of how badly the Harris campaign misread an electorate that was more wound up about inflation and immigration than about Trump’s character.

“Trump punched his return ticket to the White House with a stunning electoral romp that batted away Harris’s attacks and lured voters who believed the country was on the wrong track and blamed President Biden, Harris’s deeply unpopular boss.  Her inability to separate herself from him and offer her own specific solutions to Americans’ problems, despite a lavish campaign war chest, was a central reason for her loss.

From Atlantic Magazine:  “Trump’s proposals on the economy were frequently incoherent; he scapegoated immigrants for Americans’ financial woes and made promises about tariffs that economists said would lead to higher prices.

“Still, voters said consistently that they felt that Trump was the right person to handle the economy, perhaps because of nostalgia for a pre-pandemic economy that’s unlikely to return.

“For all the criticism Harris faced early in her campaign for not issuing clearer policy proposals (she ultimately did), Trump was the one whose appeal was rooted largely in ‘vibes:’ 

“He brought heavy doses of hateful culture-war rhetoric to the race, spreading false and dangerous messages about transgender people, blaming immigrants for societal ills, and smearing women, including Harris.”

I was struck by another sports analogy that has been used in some quarters to explain the election result.  That’s if you can call “curling” a sport.

“For those unfamiliar with the sport (which enjoys 15 minutes of fame every Winter Olympics), it involves sliding a very large, heavy ‘rock’ toward a target on the ice.  One person ‘throws’ a 44-pound disc-shaped stone by sliding it along the ice, sweepers come in and frantically try to marginally change the speed and direction of the rock by brushing the ice with ‘brooms’ that can melt just enough of the ice to make the rock travel farther or perhaps a little bit straighter.

“The sweepers are important, no doubt, but they cannot control the rock enough to save a bad throw.  It’s a matter of physics.  The rock simply has too much momentum.

“What does this have to do with politics?  The underlying dynamics of an election cycle (the economy, the popularity of the president, national events driving the news cycle) are like the 44-pound ‘stone.’  The candidates and the campaign team are the sweepers.  They work frantically — and they can influence the stone — but they don’t control it.

“One of the frustrating elements of political commentary is that we spend far too much time talking about the sweeping and far too little time talking about the stone.  Political hobbyists in particular (and that includes journalists!) are very interested in ad campaigns, ground games and messaging.

“Those things do matter, but when facing an election defeat this comprehensive, you know it was the stone that made the difference.

“So, in 2024, what was the stone?  It’s the same stone it almost always is:   Peace and prosperity.  This is job one.  A decisive number of Americans will put up with a politician’s quirks, foibles and even corruption, if he or she delivers peace and prosperity.”

Sad, but true.

Many voters this time around didn’t care much about Trump’s character.  Harris did and that was her downfall. 

 It was mine, too.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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 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.

Even as the country focused on a hard-fought presidential election, results in Oregon offered no major surprises.

In many cases, results could have been predicted accurately even before the election.

That means that, in a year when Republicans have claimed the White House, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House, Oregon voters did what they have reliably done for much of this century:  Handed Democrats the reins to state government.

For example:

• It appears Democrats were successful in securing a supermajority in the Senate. 

[Supermajorities are important because, when they exist, the party in charge has the ability to make decisions on its own without having to seek support across the political aisle.  And that matters mostly when it comes to tax increases, which, if proposed, must start in the Oregon House of Representatives — see next bullet.]

• It is not clear yet that Democrats will have a super-majority in the House, though a handful of races are too close to call and, if results favor Ds, they could get a supermajority.

• Democrats continued their dominance in statewide elected races by winning in the Secretary of State, Treasurer and Attorney General races.

• One congressional race in Oregon changed hands when Democrat Janelle Bynum prevailed over the incumbent, Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

So, it could be contended that Oregon is out of sync with many parts of the rest of the country, which, by recent media accounts, went to the right, though it also is hard to use political phrases such as “the right” to describe the “why” of Trump’s win.

The fact is that Democrats are in charge in Oeregon and have been for years.  The trend to the left is likely to continue.

As I write this, I remember that the last Republican governor in Oregon was Vic Atiyeh, for whom I had the privilege of working.  Incredibly, that was more than 40 years ago.

Now, as we look forward to the long legislative session in 2025, one of the major issues will be transportation funding where advocates for more say dollars are far too short.  If tax increases are proposed, they will have to originate in the House where, if the current totals –35 to 25 for the Ds – hold, the Ds will have to find one Republican to pass any tax increase on to the Senate.

Another major issue will revolve around the still undecided issue – whether Oregon will be able to compete nationally for new federal semi-conductor investments that, if Oregon succeeds, would mean hundreds of new, high-paying jobs.

A tough part of this for current Oregon Governor Tina Kotek will be whether she will succeed in an effort to designate farmland for such investments.  So far, farm interests are opposing her effort, but, if the land is needed for semi-conductor investments, she could win.

Still, when all is said and done about Oregon’s election, the results will mean that Democrats and Republicans will have to find a way to work together, at least on occasion.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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 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.

In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s election win, one of my good friends asked whether Christians should have or should now raise their voices about immigration.

The unfortunate reality is that Trump campaigned against immigrants, leaving his intentional impression that all of them were criminals intent on destroying the country.  Many voters fell for that dishonesty.

Of course, that is not true, which is what could be said about much of what Trump said along the campaign trail or in his previous term as president.

Plus, the fact is that, in America, all of us, other than Native Americans, either are immigrants or descendants of immigrants.  And that includes Trump.

To my good friend, I said several things:

We should make sure in our individual conversations that we don’t denigrate immigrants and, instead, emphasize that they are “real people” who deserve to have a chance to survive, if not thrive, in America just as we have had.

We should find ways to support immigrants by our actions such as, for example, in Salem, to support Salem for Refugees with our time, talent and money.  

The organization, which likely will come under fire in a Trump administration, will be interested in all kinds of support.  To my wife’s credit, we have supported the organization through donations and now will be doing even more when the organization is under threat.  

And, for me, by our actions, we can illustrate our support for ALL people who either are or have the potential to become “children of God.”

I also believe that should not enable our churches to become political instruments.  It is perfectly acceptable in church to value all people as the Bible instructs us – all people regardless of skin color, heritage, and various orientations that could be different than our own.

But, in my judgment, the church should not allow itself to become what Trump appears to want it to become, which is a political organization to support his beliefs, including his anti-Christian ones because, for him, Christianity is nothing more than another political animal.

As I responded to my friend’s good question, I also looked through my past blogs, knowing that, from time to time, I had written about immigration.  I found what I consider to be a good one, one giving credit to George W. Bush for his thoughts on immigration after his presidency.

Here are excerpts from that blog.

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When he was president, I liked George Bush for several reasons.

He showed grace and skill under pressure.  He led the nation in responding effectively to the 911 terrorist attack.  He came across as human, admitting his failures and mistakes.

Now, another reason to like Bush has emerged.  It was noted in the Washington Post under this headline:

George W. Bush: Immigration is a defining asset of the United States.  Here’s how to restore confidence in our system.

The nation’s 43^rd president has emerged with what strikes me as incredible piece of work, a book that contains at least two things – a prescription for what this nation should do to reform the immigration system, and a series of drawings by Bush that illustrate that he is an accomplished artist.

I looked at his drawings (which, unfortunately do not copy well in this blog, so I suggest that you get a copy of his new book, which I will do, as well) and recognized almost all of the subjects.

But, here, rather that write more myself, I reprint what Bush proposes on immigration.

**********

Next week, I’m proud to publish a new collection of my paintings, entitled “Out of Many, One.”  The book may not set the art world stirring — hopefully, the critics won’t call it “One Too Many.”

I set out to accomplish two things:  To share some portraits of immigrants, each with a remarkable story I try to tell, and to humanize the debate on immigration and reform.

I hope that these faces, and the stories that accompany them, serve as a reminder that immigration isn’t just a part of our heritage.  New Americans are just as much a force for good now, with their energy, idealism and love of country, as they have always been.

I write about a champion runner who barely survived ethnic violence in East Africa, and who told me, “America has given me everything I dreamed of as a boy.”  I share the story of a young man from France who followed his dream to become an American soldier, and went on to earn the Medal of Honor.  And readers may recognize two distinguished citizens who fled pre-war Europe as children, and who each became U.S. secretary of state.

The backgrounds are varied, but readers won’t have to search hard for a common theme.  It’s gratitude.  So many immigrants are filled with appreciation, a spirit nicely summed up by a Cuban American friend who said:  “If I live for a hundred years, I could never repay what this country has done for me.”

The help and respect historically accorded to new arrivals is one reason so many people still aspire and wait to become Americans.

So how is it that, in a country more generous to new arrivals than any other, immigration policy is the source of so much rancor and ill will?  The short answer is that the issue has been exploited in ways that do little credit to either party.  And no proposal on immigration will have credibility without confidence that our laws are carried out consistently and in good faith.

“Out of Many, One” is not a brief for any specific set of policies, which I leave to the political leaders of today.  However, the book does set forth principles for reform that can restore the people’s confidence in an immigration system that serves both our values and our interests.

One place to start is DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).  Americans who favor a path to citizenship for those brought here as children, known as “dreamers,” are not advocating open borders.  They just recognize that young men and women who grew up in the United States, and who never knew any other place as home, are fundamentally American.  And they ought not be punished for choices made by their parents.

Another opportunity for agreement is the border.  I have long said that we can be both a lawful and a welcoming nation at the same time.  We need a secure and efficient border, and we should apply all the necessary resources — manpower, physical barriers, advanced technology, streamlined and efficient ports of entry, and a robust legal immigration system — to assure it.

Effective border management starts well beyond the border, so we must work with our neighbors to help them build freedom and opportunity so their citizens can thrive at home.  We cannot rely on enforcement alone to prevent the untenable and so often heartbreaking scenes that come with large-scale migration.

We also need a modernized asylum system that provides humanitarian support and appropriate legal channels for refugees to pursue their cases in a timely manner.  The rules for asylum should be reformed by Congress to guard against unmerited entry and reserve that vital status for its intended recipients.

Increased legal immigration, focused on employment and skills, is also a choice that both parties should be able to get behind.  The United States is better off when talented people bring their ideas and aspirations here.  We could also improve our temporary entry program, so that seasonal and other short-term jobs can more readily be filled by guest workers who help our economy, support their families and then return home.

As for the millions of undocumented men and women currently living in the United States, a grant of amnesty would be fundamentally unfair to those who came legally or are still waiting their turn to become citizens.  But undocumented immigrants should be brought out of the shadows through a gradual process in which legal residency and citizenship must be earned, as for anyone else applying for the privilege.

Requirements should include proof of work history, payment of a fine and back taxes, English proficiency, and knowledge of U.S. history and civics, and a clean background check.  We should never forget that the desire to live in the United States — a worldwide and as powerful an aspiration as ever — is an affirmation of our country and what we stand for.

Over the years, our instincts have always tended toward fairness and generosity.  The reward has been generations of grateful, hard-working, self-reliant, patriotic Americans who came here by choice.

If we trust those instincts in the current debate, then bi-partisan reform is possible.  And we will again see immigration for what it is:  Not a problem and source of discord, but a great and defining asset of the United States.

*********

My conclusion:  Good words from one of our former presidents.  We should reflect on them and accept the principal to support people – ALL people.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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 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.

At least for a day, I am taking a break from writing about Donald Trump to focus on a better subject – golf.

For this blog, I am indebted to two sources – one of my good friends, Anne Theis, who likes golf rules as I much, if not more, than I do, and Golf Digest magazine from which I cribbed information.

I hope Anne does not mind that I used her name – and, if she does, well it’s too late.  Her name is in this blog…several times.

I write this blog because it is possible to think of golf rules mostly as carrying penalties for you as a golfer.  And, to be sure, that can be the case.

But, rules also can benefit your game.

Here is the article in Golf Digest that Anne pointed out for me and this is the lead-in to its article:

“There’s an old saying that knowledge is power.  Well, we’ve found a corollary for golfers:  Knowledge of the Rules of Golf can be a powerful asset for anyone looking to keep from giving away too many strokes during a round.

“While most people see the rules as limiting what golfers can do on the course, a broader understanding of golf’s do’s and don’ts allows players to take advantage of opportunities the rules also present — and keep your scorecard from blowing up in the process.”

Relying on Jay Roberts, assistant manager for Rules—Technology, Content and Education for the United States Golf Association, Golf Digest listed seven ways for golf rules to help any golfer, me included.

In what appears below, I am not quoting the Digest verbatim, but providing my own paraphrase of the story.

So, here are the seven:

FREE RELIEF FROM THE ROUGH TO THE FAIRWAY

Under Rule 16.1, a player is entitled to free relief from abnormal course conditions, including immovable obstructions.  The relief could result in the player getting better or worse conditions – no guarantees.

So, it is possible that a golf ball that was in the rough could be dropped in the fairway because the rules treat the fairway and rough the same, both being part of the “general area.”

MAKE STROKE-AND-DISTANCE PENALTY LESS PENAL

This one is a little complicated because a golfer has to take a penalty before taking advantage of the rules.

The situation is this:  A golfer’s drive ends up behind a tree and he or she tries to hit a draw around the tree but ends up going out-of-bounds.

Under Rule 14.6, when your ball goes out-of-bounds, you must take a stroke-and-distance penalty.  But, then take the drop the right way.  The rule allows you to drop within a full club-length of the spot you played your original shot from, not from the exact spot of that previous shot.

In other words, you have a “relief area,” which could provide enough benefit to avoid having to hit another draw.

GROUND UNDER REPAIR RELIEF

This is similar to what’s immediately above.  Taking proper relief could be positive.

Most golfers know they can get free relief when their ball comes to rest inside an area marked as ground under repair (GUR).  Fewer, however, realize that they also can get relief if their ball isn’t inside the GUR area marked, usually marked with white paint.  If their feet are in GUR when they take a stance to play their next shot under Rule 16.1, they get relief.

So, the point is that relief applies to ball, stance, and swing.

RAKING BUNKER BEFORE TAKING A DROP

This is part of what I could consider to be the strangest rule in golf – Rule 12, which deals with bunkers and, for one thing, allows golfers “to strike the sand in frustration and anger.”  Say what!

Despite that general strangeness, the following makes sense. 

If you are in a bunker and play a shot, only to hit it thin, skull it over the green and watch the ball sail out-of-bounds, then you get interesting relief.

Under the stroke-and-distance penalty, you have to drop in the sand, but the same is all messed up from your previous shot.  The good news is Rule 12.2 allows you to clean things up before your drop.  It explains that there are no restrictions on raking a bunker after a ball is played out of the bunker.

RELIEF WHEN A RIGHTY TAKES A LEFTY SHOT

Okay, here’s one I didn’t know about.

Assume a golfer’s drive leaves his or her ball up near a tree.  There’s no way to take a true right-handed swing at the ball, so the right-handed golfer decides to play the shot left-handed.  In taking his or her stance, however, his or her foot is on a cart path and the question then arises:  Can he or she get relief?

The answer is yes because, under Rule 16.1, playing an abnormal stroke doesn’t preclude you from taking relief so long as the stroke you’re trying to make isn’t “clearly unreasonable.”

After you go through the proper steps for finding the nearest point of complete relief and drop your ball back into play, you can proceed to play take the next shot with your normal right-handed stroke if that is better than continuing with the left.  Even more amazing:  If, when you take your stance to play the shot right-handed, another obstruction interferes with that stroke, you can take relief yet again.

IT’S OK TO PRACTICE BETWEEN HOLES (REALLY!)

This is also new for me.

I knew that, in match play, golfers who had finished a hole were allowed to putt again on that hole before moving on to the next hole.

But, in stroke play, I would have said “no,” until I read Golf Digest.

For this issue, Rule 5.5 makes no distinction between the two formats – match play and stroke play.  It restricts the place where practice putting and chipping is allowed to the putting green on the hole just completed, to any practice green (Rule 13.1e) at the course or to the next tee.

The main caveat:  Don’t unreasonably delay play and don’t play any shots from a bunker.

I still don’t understand this one – that the rules allow practicing on any practice green or the next tee from the green you just finished.  Makes no sense to me, so, as I play, I won’t do it.

Plus, why don’t you see tour pros doing this on the PGA Tour or LPGA?  Because the tours use a Model Local Rule I-2 that prohibits players practicing putting or chipping.

FROM OUT-OF-BOUNDS TO THE FAIRWAY

As part of the USGA/R&A rules modernization in 2019, the governing bodies drafted Model Local Rule E-5 as an option for recreational golfers who hit a ball out-of-bounds.

Rather than replay from a tee box that gives you the creeps — maybe there’s a forced carry or a dogleg that just doesn’t suite your swing — you can safely put your ball in play in the fairway at roughly the spot where your first ball went out-of-bounds.

If this model rule is in force, a downside is that you have to add two penalty strokes, so, when you’re playing that shot from the fairway, you’re hitting your fourth shot.

So, with credit again to my friend Anne Theis and Golf Digest, knowing golf rules – such as the ones above – can help, not hurt, your golf game.  

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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 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.

I am among Americans who are still reeling from the reality that Donald Trump won the election.

No matter that he was convicted of rape, that he views women as sexual objects, that he hates military heroes, that he is a convicted felon, that he considers himself to be the smartest person in any room.  Still, with all that and more, Americans voted for him in strong numbers.

So, to get past that, I say that we now have to hope that Trump has better traits than he displayed the first time he served as president or that he showed on the recent campaign trail.

In the aftermath of the election that is now mostly over more quickly than we thought it would be, it may be a time of despair if you are a democrat – or, more accurately, if you are afraid of the authoritarian now heading to the White House.

For me, I have written that it is time to move on, recognize the result even if you hate it, and live the kind of life you want to live as you value ALL Americans, no matter what happens in the White House after the first of the year.

Plus, I have said that it is best, for a Christian like me, to view the election through the prism of the Bible, which assures that, whatever happens on earth, God is still in charge.

To all this, New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof wrote what he called a “manifesto for despairing democrats,” of which he is one.

His manifesto is worth reading because it provides good advice for all of us who opposed Trump.  Plus, for all of us in Oregon, Kristof has solid connections, having grown up Yamhill County.  He wanted to run for governor last time around, even though it turned out he did not meet the residency requirements.

So, given his credentials, I provide excerpts from his manifesto in this blog.

**********

So, what do we do now?

For those who think as I do, the election feels devastating.  My country has elected a felon whose former top aides have described him as a fascist and “the most dangerous person to this country.”  Yet, in an election that wasn’t even close, voters not only chose him but also picked a Republican Senate to empower him further.

This will be a test of our country and of each of us, so let me offer a manifesto for how ordinary Americans of my ilk can respond.

I accept Donald Trump’s victory.  If we are to stand up to Trump, we must first resist the impulse to be like Trump.  We lost.  We were outvoted.  In a democracy, the majority rules, and that was not us.  Yes, there is a contradiction when a democratic election elevates someone working to undermine democracy, but our first obligation is still to respect the voters’ choice.

I will be a watchdog, not a lap dog.  Accepting Trump as president-elect does not mean surrendering to authoritarianism.  In particular, I will be extra vigilant about attempts to abuse the legal system to go after Trump’s critics, and I will support institutions that are the backbone of democracy, such as the legal system, journalism and the civil service.  I may hug a lawyer.

I will back organizations fighting to uphold human values.  During Trump’s first term, the ACLU did heroic work battling family separation at the border.  Planned Parenthood fought to preserve access to reproductive health.  So many other organizations stepped up to assist the vulnerable.  Let’s support them.

I will subscribe to a news organization.  This is self-serving and God knows that we in journalism make mistakes all the time, but it remains true that journalism is critical to hold officials accountable.  Oversight from news organizations will be particularly crucial if Republicans end up controlling both houses of Congress.  As the corollary for that subscription:  Hold us in the news business accountable for holding Trump accountable.  We journalists shouldn’t dispassionately observe a journey to authoritarianism; we shouldn’t be neutral about upholding democracy.

I will try to understand why so many Americans disagree with me.  Too many Democrats reflexively assume that any person backing Trump must be a bigot or an idiot.  But let’s beware of invidious stereotypes, for finger-wagging condescension alienates centrist voters; it’s difficult to win support from people you’re calling idiots and racists.  Many working-class Americans have been left behind economically and have reason to feel angry.  And Democrats aren’t going to win elections as long as they seethe at a majority of voters.

I will keep my cool.  Conservatives regularly accused liberals like me of suffering “Trump derangement syndrome,” and perhaps they had a point.  When he was president, Trump pushed us liberals leftward on issues like immigration and policing, with some Democrats calling to abolish the police or to eliminate U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.  That may have felt noble, but the outcome was more support for Trump.

I will care for my mental health.  There’ll be many, many times in the next four years when we’ll be irritated, anxious and alarmed, probably with good reason, so we need to find a way to relax and mellow out.  For me, that’s backpacking and wine- and cider-making.  In my day job, I shout at the world, and it pays no attention, so it’s a relief to raise grapes and apples and have them listen to me.  And remember that sometimes the best therapist has four legs.  A few years ago, many families got a pandemic dog, and for some this may be time to get a dog.

I will be alert to gender nastiness.  This campaign saw Trump gleefully engaging in vulgarity and misogyny, and one result was a widening gender divide. I  suspect we may see more such nastiness targeting feminists, and it will be important — particularly for men — to uphold norms and push back at this tide of degradation.

I will help Ukrainians.  One of the big winners of this election is Vladimir Putin, and one of the big losers is Ukraine.  This will be a brutal winter for Ukrainians not just because of the cold and the North Korean troops joining Russian forces but also because America may soon abandon Ukraine. S o consider supporting an organization that helps Ukraine, such as Razom.

I will back humanitarians around the world.  Trump is likely to cut funds for the U.N. Population Fund and other reproductive health organizations, as he did before.  The Trump administration may cut support for the U.N. agency providing education and assistance to Palestinians, UNRWA, and it is much less likely to speak out about Israeli abuses in Gaza and the West Bank.  It will be less likely to work for peace in Sudan, now probably the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.  One way to fight back against isolationism and indifference is to support organizations with a global humanitarian mission.

I will push for blue places to govern themselves better.  Trump isn’t the only one we should hold accountable; we must also hold ourselves accountable.  The truth is that some blue cities out west have fumbled issues like homelessness and public order:  San Francisco and Portland are now Republican talking points.  And even if liberal policies are stymied at the national level, federalism still allows Democrat cities and states to experiment and devise new approaches to improve education, chip away at poverty and increase the housing supply.  Let’s take that opportunity seriously.

I will temper my strong views with humility.  The challenge is to unflinchingly proclaim our values even as we appreciate that we are fallible and may eventually be proven wrong.  Accepting that contradiction curbs the tendency toward arrogance and self-righteousness, which in any case are utterly unhelpful in promoting those values.

I will share Thanksgiving with relatives, even if I think they’re nuts.  There’s too much division in America, and we hang out too much with people who think just as we do.  So, if you’re debating whether to break bread with family members whose politics you can’t stand, go for it.  Don’t let Trump get between you and your family or friendships.

I will start planning for recovery.  It’s time to start working for the 2026 congressional elections.  That will mean more focus on winning elections nationwide.  Too often, Democrats in safe districts in New York or California stake out far-left positions that hurt Democrats in Ohio or Georgia, damaging the causes we believe in.  America is a centrist nation, and just because Trump takes extreme stances does not mean we should.

Instead of despairing, I will find purpose.  For four decades, I’ve reported on pro-democracy activists struggling against dictatorships.  I saw them massacred in 1989 at Tiananmen in China, and I’ve had too many friends tortured and imprisoned in other countries, but I also saw democracy come to Eastern Europe, South Korea and South Africa.  What I’ve learned from people like Archbishop Desmond Tutu is that despair — even a quite reasonable despair — is self-fulfilling, while democratic activists with a sense of purpose can sometimes, unpredictably and imperfectly, make unexpected progress.  To avoid being crushed over the next four years, that sense of purpose must be our north star guiding us forward.