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.

Donald Trump has often proclaimed himself as the best deal-maker in history.

That’s his reality.

Accuracy tells a different story.

His deal-making falls short for three reasons:

• First, he is unprepared.

He never bones up before starting a deal. He also never relies on confidants who may know more than he does before he runs amuck.

• Second, he is mercurial.

That’s a not-often-used word, but it means this:  Describes someone whose mood or behavior is highly unpredictable and liable to change rapidly.  Sounds like Trump, right? 

• Third, Trump often is desperate for a deal and everyone knows it.

Desperation breeds negative results.

The Atlantic Magazine wrote about this in the last week and included this summary of the deal Trump says he is trying to strike to end the Iran war he started without a rationale for doing so, nor an attempt to convince Congress to go along with his escapade for which we are all paying a high price. 

Trump’s war has cost American lives, roiled the economy with sky-high gas prices, and given Republicans who support Trump a lot to consider.

Writing in Atlantic Magazine, here is how columnist David Graham described Trump’s record:

“Donald Trump’s reputation and political career were built on his deal-making prowess, yet the president keeps demonstrating that he is a terrible negotiator.

“Repeatedly over the past nine years, Trump has gotten rolled by counterparts during high-stakes exchanges.  North Korea, Russia, Russia again, China, and China again have gotten the better of the United States.

“Trump has had to slink back to Washington without much to show except empty talk about friendship with whatever dictator has just run circles around him.”

Of course, then Graham goes on to point out what he calls “one glaring exception” to Trump’s self-proclaimed deal-making credentials.  It came when he was negotiated with himself to get his own administration to set up a $1.8 billion slush fund for his political allies.  [As this written, Trump’s fund in legal scrutiny in court.]

To Trump, that’s a win.  For Americans, it’s an incredible abuse.

Graham adds this conclusion:

“… these factors combine to mean that Trump is ill-equipped to win any negotiation, much less one that is the result of his own blundering into war.  Trump is likely to muddle through, as he has so many times in his career, and reach some sort of agreement with Iran.  He will surely say that it’s a great triumph, but reality will be harder to ignore than it was when Trump’s failures merely hurt his own bank accounts.

“One of the ironies of The Art of the Deal, the book that made Trump’s reputation as a clever businessman, is that Trump himself didn’t write it. His ghostwriter, Tony Schwartz, has said that he cobbled the volume together after sitting at Trump’s elbow while he conducted his daily business.  

“Unfortunately, it’s probably too late for Trump to hire a real professional to handle negotiations with Iran.”

So, deal-maker?  No.

Self-dealing?  Yes.