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, 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.

Slow play has come up several times recently as a plague for many sports, but golf, especially, has tended to get into first place on the problem list.

Those who criticize have a point and, so far at least, those who administer the game of golf on the PGA Tour appear not to have done much about the problem.

All it would take for slow play to end is for a player or players to get penalty strokes. Almost immediately there would be no more plague. Hit pro golfers in their pocketbooks to solve the problem.

A couple instances lately have brought the subject to the fore (pardon the pun).

In one case, Bryson DeChambeau, a five-time PGA Tour winner, came under fire for two instances of slow play last week at the Northern Trust tournament. The instances of DeChambeau’s slow play and his defense made the social media rounds and led to harsh criticism.

He was clearly upset by the backlash, twice defending himself to reporters and suggesting that his speed in getting to the ball should balance any extra time he might take to hit it.

Here’s the way Wall Street Journal writer Jason Gay put it in a recent column:

”Even golf pros think golf can go on too long. Witness the recent controversy around the young golf star Bryson DeChambeau, a wildly talented, tournament-winning 25-year-old who sometimes moves around a golf course like, well, a tortoise on Benadryl.

“A viral video made the rounds this past weekend of DeChambeau preparing for a putt. DeChambeau looks at his putt from one angle. Then he looks from another angle. Then another. DeChambeau spends more time prepping for this putt than I did for my wedding and the birth of my children combined.

“The whole thing lasts…well, it only lasts a bit longer than two minutes, but it feels like forever. One of DeChambeau’s playing partners starts reading Dickens. The other crochets a cable-knit sweater. OK, I’m making that stuff up, but you get the point.

“Here’s the big finale: He misses the putt. It’s like watching someone spend six hours making a pie, only to drop it on the ground.”

The second incident involved one of the slowest players of all time — , J.P. Holmes. He takes forever to line up any shot, often plumb-bombing even three or four foot puts. Plus, he never prepares to hit any shot until it is exactly his turn to play – in other words, he always waits until the last minute to get ready to hit, then takes forever to hit the shot.

It has become so bad that I, as a dedicated golf player, will turn to a commercial when it is Holmes’ turn to hit. Can’t watch the elongated process.

Okay, rather than just complain, here are my ideas about actions to take.

1. Adopt what the Oregon Golf Association (OGA) does for all of its tournaments, including ones it runs for the United State Golf Association, which usually area local qualifiers for national events.

From tournaments involving junior players as young as eight up to senior players, the OGA has a strict pace-of-play policy. Listed on the scorecards are the times for each hole to be completed and, then, at four checkpoints around the course, players are informed about whether they are ahead of behind the appointed times.

If they are behind, they get, first, a warning, then, if they remain behind, they get a one-stroke penalty.

Yesterday, in a USGA qualifier in Salem, OGA tournament officials used this policy and, for the last group that finished its 18^th hole, they barely made it under the time by only about 30 seconds. If the group had missed the time, a penalty would have been imposed because it would have been the second miss.

Under the approach, pace-of-play has improved in Oregon tournaments, suggesting that such an approach could be a national model.

2. Use what Europe has used at least once in a tournament called the “Shot Clock Masters.”

Each group in this professional tournameant was followed by a golf cart with shot clock mounted on the back for all to see, including the players.

When a player got to his ball to play the shot, the official in the cart started the clock. That gave the player 40 seconds to play. In one case, the player took 41 seconds – yes, 41 seconds – and received a one-stroke penalty.

Think of this as a bit like the time clocks used in football and basketball at the professional golf. They are used to speed up the pace-of-play.

3. Give players a target time to play their round.

This is the approach used where I have the privilege of playing in La Quinta, California each winter. The scorecard lists the target time to play 18 holes as three hours and 50 minutes. Yet, on the tee, the pros tell players the target time is three hours and 30 minutes.

Not tough to do if you focus on the game at hand.

For those of us who love golf, a lot rides on dealing with slow play. The reality of slow play means, for one thing, that it is often difficult to attract new players to the game. They simply believe they do not have time to get out on the course.

Trimming the number of holes played from 18 to nine is one option. But more needs to be done for the good of the game and the three ideas above are just two options.

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 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 a Congressional press secretary in Washington, D.C., an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and 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.

To state the obvious, I am not an astronomer. Perhaps a retired lobbyist like me looks at the stars once in while, but without expertise.

So, it is that I have become very interested lately in information provided by the pastor of the church my wife and I often attend in La Quinta, California, The Church at The Red Door.

The pastor, Jeff Cranford, is a former golf pro who became a Christian pastor. He has used information about the Milky Way and other galaxies to illustrate that, for him, there is no question but that God created our universe and that, in fact, God exists.

He said it was not possible for him to believe that the enormity of creation could happen by some kind of strange, as he called it, “spontaneous combustion.”

After hearing Cranford discuss one of his favorite topics, galaxies, I did a little research myself, if you can call going on-line “doing research.”

Here is a brief summary of what I found.

“The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) estimates there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe. A recent German super-computer simulation estimates that the number may be as high as 500 billion.

“The methods used to achieve such a vast number vary, and, therefore, results could vary, too. Also, as new and improved technology becomes available, astronomers can detect fainter objects that were not seen before. The objects that have come into view will change the estimated number of galaxies, increasing them many fold.

“For example, in 1999 the HST estimated that there were 125 billion galaxies in the universe, and, recently, with the new camera, HST has observed 3,000 visible galaxies, which is twice as much as the telescope observed before with the old camera.”

So, back to the Milky Way. How large is it?

The disk of the Milky Way galaxy is about 100,000 light years in diameter and about 1,000 light years thick. Our galaxy contains about 200 billion stars.

And, how long would it take to get across the galaxy?

If you could ride a light beam from one side of the disk to the other, it would take 200,000 years to span the distance. If you could drive across and average 60 miles an hour, it would take more than two trillion years. That’s about 150 times greater than the age of the universe, which is estimated to be about 14 billion years.

There are many other reasons to come to a belief that God exists, perhaps even better ones, but just this one, for me, defies judgment on some basis other than that a higher power – God – created it. To believe somehow that this galaxy – and all others (billions of them) beyond it – just came into being strikes me as fanciful.

For me, I believe in God’s handiwork, but can I prove beyond a shadow of doubt that God is the creator? No.

What matters in all of this is that individuals must come to a position where they choose to believe in God, a decision which involves things they cannot see or touch. It’s called faith. They have to come to this decision on their own. The inverse also is true – individuals could come to a decision not to consider whether God exists or to reject any notion that he does, on their own.

I prefer the “God as creator” reality, plus the way he provides for all of us, through what Jesus did on the cross, to have a real, personal relationship with Him that will last for eternity.

Speaking of something impossible for the human mind to understand, there’s that phrase – that will last for eternity.

As the song says, using very good words to illustrate how God reaches out to us to provide salvation, “God provides a bridge across the great divide. God provides a cross to bridge the great divide.” The “divide” is what exists between us, as failed human beings and a perfect. Jesus bridged that divide.

My friendly advice is to investigate whether God exists. If you do, you might come to the same decision Cranford did a number of years ago – yes, God does exist.

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, 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.

If I was governor of the State of Oregon – perish the thought some of you may say – I would do something definitive and aggressive about the foster care problem in the state.

That could even involve changing leadership at the culprit agency, the Department of Human Services.

But, in some ways, it’s already too late to get a handle on the problem that, over the years, has resulted in so many tragedies for “our children.”

The fact is that state officials have placed foster children in out-of-state locations that failed to guard the safety of the children. Then, in at least one case, when there was a death of a foster child, state officials failed to announce that very unfortunate fact.

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reported more trouble this week under this headline:

Advocacy Groups Fire Back After Oregon Officials Move To Dismiss Federal Foster Care Lawsuit

According to OPB, advocacy groups who filed a class-action lawsuit against Oregon’s Department of Human Services say the state can’t be relied upon to fix the problems plaguing the system on its own.

“The state has demonstrated that it is a constitutionally inadequate parent to the most vulnerable children in its care,” according to Thursday’s filing from the advocacy groups.

“At this point, given the history of what’s happened to foster kids in Oregon, it’s way too late for the state to say, ‘Trust us.’’’

In April, A Better Childhood, a national advocacy group, and Disability Rights Oregon filed a lawsuit against the DHS, alleging the agency re-victimizes children in its foster care system and has failed to address documented problems for at least a decade.

An attempt to reach a settlement failed earlier this summer. In response, the state and Governor Kate Brown filed a motion in July, asserting the state is already in the midst of overhauling the state’s child welfare system and a federal judge should not oversee the state’s decisions when it comes to foster care.

When I was a lobbyist, I got involved in the foster care issue through my firm’s representation of Youth Villages and its predecessor agencies. Like many others, I knew then that the state’s foster care efforts were in jeopardy of failing and that was about five years ago.

Since then, not a whole lot appears to have been done – at least not much with a beneficial effect. The governor has appointed task forces – two of them, in fact, one on top of the other — to oversee DHS’s work, but, from my perspective, this is no time for task forces.

It is a time for the state to get its act together on behalf of one of the most important resources under its care – foster care children.

Past time, in fact.

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, 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.

This, remember, is one of three departments I run with a free hand to make all of the decisions for the enterprise.

In terms of good quotes, there have been a lot of options lately, so….

REGARDING “MEDICARE FOR ALL:” “Every candidate on the Democrat side who matters is in favor either of Medicare-for-all or some slightly less ominous version of it. The Democrats as a whole are committed to a platform of “if you like your private insurance, too bad, we are going to make it illegal (and demolish the jobs of everyone who works for the private insurance industry at the same time).”

COMMENT: Sounds a bit like what President Barack Obama promised when he promoted passage of his health care for all plan. “You can keep your doctor if you want,” he said, and, of course, that didn’t happen. This time around, the Ds appear to be wary of saying out loud that they will eliminate private insurance even if you like what you have, but that’s exactly what the D proposals would “achieve.”

JUDGING PAST DECISIONS: The Washington Post wonders, “How do we judge policy decisions made in the past? As a chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Joe Biden was an architect of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.

“Among other things, the crime bill helped local governments hire tens of thousands of police officers, funded the construction of new prisons, enabled the federal death penalty, instituted the federal assault-weapons ban, and created several new federal crimes, including hate crimes, sex offenses and gang-related crimes. The bill was supported by an overwhelming majority of Democrats in both houses and signed by President Clinton.”

COMMENT: Hindsight is always 20-20 and, therefore, doesn’t amount to much, in my view. Many Democrats running for president pillory Biden for his criminal justice record, but, by hindsight, his decisions at the time made sense.

The same, I contend, is true for President George Bush (41) who acted to go into Iraq to look for weapons of mass destruction. At the time, the decision made sense. Today, it looks terrible because the weapons weren’t found.

TRUMP FINDS THE BEST OPPONENT IN 2020: The Wall Street Journal opines that “what the president has done is politically brilliant.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was trying to marginalize the so-called “Squad,” four far left-wing members of the House who make a habit of criticizing their D colleagues in over-the-top, we-like-Socialism terms.

COMMENT: It may not be political genius – I refuse to use that phrase for President Trump – but what he has managed to do so far is make it appear he is running against the “Squad,” not other Democrats. He has now identified the entire Democrat party with that group of four crazies.

And that is good for Republicans because the “Squad” is so far left that it cannot be found on any political spectrum.

A VERY GOOD QUOTE: “If you’ve been blessed, build a longer table, not a higher wall.” That came from the Wall Street Journal.

COMMENT: Apply this to the current arguments over immigration and you could get a picture of what everyone — Trump, Republicans and Democrats — should do, which is to solve the problem (build a larger table, not a higher wall) rather than blame each other in harsh terms.

I’VE HEARD OF DUPLICITY, BUT THIS TAKES THE CAKE: Reading from a teleprompter last Monday, Trump spoke about setting “destructive partisanship aside” and using “one voice” to “condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy.” It was a message that diverged from the slew of divisive, and at times racist, statements the president has publicly directed at minorities ranging from immigrants to lawmakers. The president’s scripted address also contained no mention of new gun legislation.

COMMENT: Trump says one thing one minute without regard to whether it comports with what he has said in the past. In this case – his comments on more shootings in America – are impossible to reconcile with his past comments which appear to promote racism and bigotry.

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, 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.

——— Unfortunately, there were a couple typos in what I posted yesterday, so given the important nature of this information, I am posting the piece again ———

*********

Want to read a story of hope, persistence and Christian love?

Here’s one.

It is the story of Molly Holt, who, over many years in Korea helping orphans, earned the titles “The Mother Teresa of Korea” and the “Mother of all Korean Orphans.”

She was one of the children of Harry and Bertha Holt, Oregonians who made their life’s work rescuing orphaned children from Korea and bringing them to America to begin new lives.

The Holts’ work became Holt International Services, the largest adoption agency in the world today, which shows what can happen when good people get together to do good work.

Molly continued her parents’ work, usually from Korea, her primary residence for about 63 years.

She passed away last month. There was a memorial service for her Saturday in Eugene, which my wife, Nancy, attended because she grew up in Eugene and attended the same church as the Holts.

The Holt story began in the mid-1950s when Harry and Bertha saw a film about Amerasian children in Korean orphanages who were desperately in need of help. The couple sent money and clothes, but, to them, that didn’t feel like enough.

Then, they came to an inspired realization – those children needed families!

From on-line sources, I reviewed again what Harry and Bertha did. Here is some of what I read.

“Besides the money and clothes, Harry and Bertha decided to adopt eight Korean children but soon learned that it would be impossible unless they could pass both houses of Congress to pass a special law. ‘Then, that’s what we’ll do,” Bertha said, and she moved ahead on faith. The new law passed both the House and the Senate, due, at least in part, to the efforts of the late Senator Maurine Neuberger.

“The Holts’ adoption was revolutionary. Their example showed that a family’s love can transcend the barriers of race and nationality. At a time when adoption was regarding as something to be kept secret they adopted children who were obviously not their birth children. Though their deep Christian faith and fierce determination, they showed the world that adoption is a banner of love, not a badge of shame.

“Word spread and inspired people across the nation. Many inquired as to how they, too, could adopt. Only five months after he brought their first eight children home, Harry headed back to Korea to help other children gain families. The Holt International enterprise was officially incorporated in 1956, financed almost entirely by Harry and Bertha’s personal funds.

“When Harry passed away in 1964, many thought the Holt agency would simply fold up. But Bertha said, ‘This work was always God’s work. If he wants it to continue, it will.’ Her strength and faith persevered, and Holt continued to grow and meet the needs of an increasing number of homeless children.

“Bertha worked tirelessly on behalf of children in need until her death at age 96. She was affectionately known as ‘Grandma Holt’ to adoptive families and to the thousands of children around the world whose lives she changed.”

Harry and Bertha’s own children continued the Holt International work, including Molly from her base in Korea.

Molly worked primarily with special needs children, and her ongoing fight for their needs showed that those children were often adoptable — and much more.  Molly’s work and commitment actually changed South Korea’s attitude about special needs children who, over time, were both recognized and celebrated.

Their capabilities also were recognized when the country held the Special Olympics, which included children Molly had helped get ready for the big event.

The record of Holt International continues to grow. Besides helping thousands of children overseas, the organization has placed nearly 40,000 children with adoptive families in this country.

Most of all, Holt International always has and will be driven by what is best for children. By upholding Harry and Bertha’s ethics – up-front and honest practices, and ongoing support of adoptive families and children – many more homes are being found for children who need them.

In Bertha’s words – words Molly lived by – “all children are beautiful when they are loved.”

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden recognized this when he sent a note for Molly’s memorial service, as well as read a eulogy on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

“Although she lived most of her life in Korea, all of us in Oregon consider Molly an exceptional Oregonian. She leaves a legacy of caring and compassion that will endure for generations to come. Her devotion to orphaned children in Korea and around the world touched the lives of thousands of children and families and changed the hearts and minds of many more for the better.”

**********

[Footnote: The firm where I was a partner for more than 25 years, CFM Strategic Communications, lobbied in favor of a number of pro-adoption policies over the years. At several points, we represented Holt International, often on a pro-bono basis.]

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, 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.

Want to read a story of hope, persistence and Christian love?

Here’s one.

It is the story of Molly Holt, who, over many years in Korea helping orphans, earned the titles “The Mother Teresa of Korea” and the “Mother of all Korean Orphans.”

She was one of the children of Harry and Bertha Holt, Oregonians who made their life’s work rescuing orphaned children from Korea and bringing them to America to begin new lives.

The Holts’ work became Holt International Services, the largest adoption agency in the world today, which shows what can happen when good people get together to do good work.

Molly continued her parents’ work, usually from Korea, her primary residence for about 63 years.

She passed away last month and there was a memorial service for her Saturday in Eugene, which my wife, Nancy, attended because she grew up in Eugene and attended the same church as the Holts.

The Holt story began in the mid-1950s when Harry and Bertha saw a film about Amerasian children in Korean orphanages who were desperately in need of help. The couple sent money and clothes, but, to them, that didn’t feel like enough.

Then, they came to an inspired realization – those children needed families!

From on-line sources, I reviewed again what Harry and Bertha did. Here is some of what I read.

“Besides the money and clothes, Harry and Bertha decided to adopt eight Korean children but soon learned that it would be impossible unless they could pass both houses of Congress to pass a special law. ‘Then, that’s what we’ll do,” Bertha said, and she moved ahead on faith. The new law passed both the House and the Senate, due, at least in part, to the efforts of the late Senator Maurine Neuberger.

“The Holts’ adoption was revolutionary. Their example showed that a family’s love can transcend the barriers of race and nationality. At a time when adoption was regarding as something to be kept secret they adopted children who were obviously not their birth children. Though their deep Christian faith and fierce determination, they showed the world that adoption is a banner of love, not a badge of shame.

“Word spread and inspired people across the nation. Many inquired as to how they, too, could adopt. Only five months after he brought their first eight children home, Harry headed back to Korea to help other children gain families. The Holt International enterprise was officially incorporated in 1956, financed almost entirely by Harry and Bertha’s personal funds.

“When Harry passed away in 1964, many thought the Holt agency would simply fold up. But Bertha said, ‘This work was always God’s work. If he wants it to continue, it will.’ Her strength and faith persevered, and Holt continued to grow and meet the needs of an increasing number of homeless children.

“Bertha worked tirelessly on behalf of children in need until her death at age 96. She was affectionately known as ‘Grandma Holt’ to adoptive families and to the thousands of children around the world whose lives she changed.”

Harry and Bertha’s own children continued the Holt International work, including Molly from her base in Korea.

Molly worked primarily with special needs children, and her ongoing fight for their needs showed that those children were often adoptable — and much more.  Molly’s work and commitment actualyu changed South Korea’s attitude about special needs children who, over time, were both recognized and celebrated.

Their capabilities were recognized when the country held the Special Olympics, which included children Molly had helped get ready for the big event.

The record of Holt International continues to grow. Besides helping thousands of children overseas, the organization has placed nearly 40,000 children with adoptive families in this country.

Most of all, Holt International always has and will be driven by what is best for children. By upholding Harry and Bertha’s ethics – up-front and honest practices, and ongoing support of adoptive families and children – many more homes will be found for children who need them.

In Bertha’s words – words Molly lived by – “all children are beautiful when they are loved.”

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden recognized this when he sent a note for Molly’s memorial service, as well as read a eulogy on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

“Although she lived most of her live in Korea, all of us in Oregon consider Molly an exceptional Oregonian. She leaves a legacy of caring and compassion that will endure for generations to come. Her devotion orphaned children in Korea and around the world touched the lives of thousands of children and families and changed the hearts and minds of many more for the better.”

**********

[Footnote: The firm where I was a partner for more than 25 years, CFM Strategic Communication, lobbied in favor of a number of pro-adoption policies over the years. At several points, we represented Holt International, often on a pro-bono basis.]

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, 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.

First, a confession. I did not watch either of the two Democrat debates this week, though I did read about them in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, which had different takes on the process.

Second, it may too early for there to be any conclusions to these debates, if that’s what they really were.

There is a long time, an eternity in politics, until we face the general election.

Still, based on what I read, I thought the winner was Trump. What occurred in the debates could drive many voters Trump’s way, even if they have questions about the character of the buffoon who sits in the Oval Office.

Many of the Democrats advocate policies so far left of center that they mean the America we knew and know would go away in favor of a government state. Everything is “free” and guess who pays for it – you and me.

Here is the way columnist Peggy Noonan described the “debates” in her piece for the Wall Street Journal:

“The Democrats are showing little hopefulness; they’re not voicing any expansive sense of faith in their country. I understand it is the job of challengers to lambaste the status quo, to criticize, to say, ‘This isn’t working.’ But the rhetorical atmosphere of the administration has been grim for some time. American carnage, cities are dead and swimming in garbage, violent rats are eating our feet, throw ’em out, lock ’em up.

“So you’d think challengers would quickly follow their critiques with a certain modified strategic confidence. Instead they’re out-grimming the president. We chain and cage women and children, no one here has ever seen a doctor, if you have a heart attack on the street you’ll be lucky if they bother to step over your body, they’ll probably use you as an ashtray, cops are racists who hope you commit crimes so they can beat you, corporations have rape rooms.

“It is extreme and weirdly negative. You’d think someone would pop out with, ‘Jake, let me tell you why America doesn’t constantly make me want to throw up in my mouth. Or, ‘Dana, I’ve actually met a few Americans and we’re painting them a little darkly here.’”

With Noonan I ask – where is the optimism for the future of America, albeit with commitments to fix problems and make improvements?

Washington Post writers put it this way:

“In one way, the debate was exactly what had been expected, a series of attacks against former vice president Joe Biden, the leader in the polls who had faltered in the first debate in Miami and needed to rebound in Detroit. He accomplished that, but barely so and perhaps by opening himself up to future criticisms.

“In another way, the second night of debating was not at all what Democrats had expected or likely wanted. By the end of the evening, the candidates had done as much to make a case against one another as against the president, without offering much in the way of an aspirational message or connecting directly with the voters they will need to win the presidential election.

“The reality is that little changed as a result of the debate. The absence of clear winners and the absence of the emergence of a candidate with a hopeful message for a broader audience produced a status quo ending.”

Ditto for me.

Further, Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal said Democrats “are working hard to repel swing voters.”

Rove said Democrats will lose in 2020 if enough Americans believe the “big ideas” threaten their families, communities, values and pocketbooks.

Americans often like bold, aspirational ideas, such as sending a man to the moon. It’s less clear that they like revolutions and forced upheavals in their own lives, not to mention loss of control over important decisions and massive raids on their pocketbooks.

Democrat presidential candidates are outbidding one another with structural transformations of America. The cumulative effect, Rove suggests, may be to saddle the Democrat Party with an ambitious leftist agenda that repels swing voters in 2020 and hands the election to Trump.

There also was one more piece of disquieting analysis about the debates. This. Among Ds, centrist approaches are viewed as in the past, not the future. Specifically, centrist approaches are viewed as being only for older people, including me, not for many in the younger set who appear to want upheaval and huge change so America is not the country it once was.

If that’s true – if older people want the middle – I plead guilty. And, I hope Democrats find a way to appeal to centrists by fielding a candidate who will have a chance to oust Trump from office before he inflicts even more damage on our country.

For the moment, I suspect he wants more debates among Democrats so they tear each down without much regard for the outcome or, at least so far, for the need to beat Trump.

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, 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.

This, remember, is one of three departments I run as director. Therefore, I – and I alone – decide what should be handled by all of the departments, including on pet peeves.

In retirement, I have a lot of time to think about peeves, so I could leave the department open at all times. But, I demur, partly to underline the importance of the peeves I cite so they don’t get lost in the muddle of so much.

Peeve #1: WHERE ARE THE COPS?

I ask this question after driving up and down I-5 in the last few days.

On a number of occasions, despite heavy traffic, cars drove much too fast and changed lanes on a dime, endangering themselves and every one else on the road – all for gaining a new seconds of time.

In all my years on freeways, I have NEVER – yes, NEVER – seen a copy pull over such a driver.

Why?

Just the luck of the draw, I suppose.

But, it peeves me that cops aren’t more present on I- 5 – not to get me, but to get the fast lane-weavers.

Peeve #2: WHERE IS THE “JOBS ISSUE” IN POLITICS?

I have asked this question numerous times, but this time I raise the issue as a peeve.

Why don’t more politicians come down on the side of develop public policies that provide an solid environment to save or create jobs?

Makes sense from several points of view.

First, those with jobs would pay taxes and, thus, help to fund government.

Second, often, having a job and gaining the positive feeling from investing effort and energy is one of the most effective social policies.

Yet, most politicians, especially those on the left, ignore the jobs issue, even as they expand government.

Too bad, I say.

Peeve #3: WHY USE THE WORDS “DEMOCRATIC” AND “PROGRESSIVE?”

I have railed against these words before, but it will feel good to do so again – so here goes.

I contend that it is not accurate to describe the Democrat party as “Democratic.” These days, it clearly is not.

The Ds won’t want to work with Republicans to find the smart middle on various public policy issues. They want to impose their will. {So do Republicans you might add, and I would not disagree because of my current attitude that neither political party is worth supporting.]

Then, the word “progressive.” The word often is used to describe Democrats, but, to me, they are surely are not interesting in “progressing” for the good of the country. They are interesting in “progressing” on their own left-of-center agenda.

The solution?

I always use the word Democrat, not “Democratic.”

And, I never use the word “progressive.”

Enough peeves for today. On to better things and thoughts, one of which is more golf.

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, 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.

The headline for this blog relates to a presentation I heard this week that came across as foreboding in a business where I have been involved for my entire professional career – the communications business.

But, wait for it.

I’ll provide more information, but, first, this introduction.

A few months ago, I and about 10 others were asked to participate as members on a committee appointed by Oregon Common Cause to take a look at how to improve ethical conduct and behavior at the federal level.

A tall task. One that might not to produce any kind of result, especially as we worked in little old Oregon.

The motivation for our effort was that, since Watergate has receded from public consciousness, so has ethical behavior and conduct on the part of public officials, especially with a president who has no ethical bearings. And, public officials in general often don’t exhibit ethics, or appear not to care about it.

Worse perhaps, the public – you and me, as voters – sometimes appear to care more about winning at any cost than winning with skill, ethics and honesty.

At least three initiatives are under consideration by our committee:

1. Encouraging Oregon school systems to include ethics modules in their curricula – and we have found out that such modules are sadly lacking. Still, we have identified two school districts that are willing to develop pilot programs which could serve as models for others around the state.
2. Encouraging public officials at all levels – including both elected and appointed officials – to sign ethics pledges to illustrate that, while in office or on the campaign trail they engage in ethical behavior and conduct.
3. Developing an education plan that could prompt voters to re-establish ethical behavior and conduct as a solid criterion for public officials.

In all of our work so far we have been wondering how to communicate in current society, which appears to be marked by a heavy reliance on social media, including such sites as Facebook and Twitter.

So, at my suggestion, we asked my former partner ands current friend, Pat McCormick, one of Oregon’s standout practitioners of communication arts, to help us understand the new landscape.

He met with us last week and provided these nuggets, each of which has major implications for how effective communication occurs these days:

• In 2004, there were 104 daily and weekly newspapers in Oregon. Today, there are only 85.
• In 2004, newspaper circulation totaled 1.4 million subscribers. Today, the number is down to 796,000.
• There are huge generational differences between and young and old as to where each gets news. Fifty per cent of those between ages 18 and 29 get news on social media platforms.   For those 65 years of age and older, 85 per cent get their news from TV.
• Further, 50 per cent of the so-called “millennials” get their political news on Facebook. For “baby boomers,” 50 per cent get their political news from local TV news.
• Overall, two-thirds of adults in the U.S. get news from social media sites, not mass media sites that were the stock in trade for persons in my age group
• The most-viewed social media site is Facebook. Twitter is next, but quite a ways down.

Beyond these and other statistics, my friend, Pat, said there are six communications trends that have started and will continue:

• Consolidation
• Fewer reporters
• Constant content demand
• Post first; correct later
• Entertainment matters more than journalism
• There is more investment in news dissemination than in news collection

He also said many Americans suffer from what he called “confirmation bias.” When we see or hear something that confirms our bias, we then confirm it. Think about it for only a few seconds – that’s what happens when citizens rely on only one source for news and information – a source they agree with most of the time — and don’t employ a variety of sources to come up with more reasoned viewpoints.

Pat ended with a terrific point made often, he said, by his late mother. She said God made people with two ears and one mouth for at least one reason – so they listen more than they talk.

Good advice for all of us – whether in the communications or in real life.

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, 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 have heard of duplicity on the part of public officials, but actions lately by Senator Bernie Sanders take the cake. Thus, the headline on this blog.

As Andy Puzder wrote in the Wall Street Journal last week, Sanders, “by his actions, shows he disagrees with the socialist policies he advocates.”

Or, this from Marc Thiessen in the Washington Post, which I quote in detail because it serves as a telling indictment of Sander’s duplicity:

“Sanders proudly announced this year that his presidential campaign would be the first in history to have a unionized workforce. Well, he just became the first presidential candidate in history to face a labor revolt from his unionized workforce.

“According to The Post, the Sanders campaign workers union, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400, complained that field organizers are ‘making poverty wages’ and that ‘many field staffers are barely managing to survive financially.’ Because field organizers are working 60 hours a week, according to the union, their annual salary of $36,000 works out to $13 an hour — well below the $15-an-hour federal minimum wage Sanders has called for.

“It gets worse. When the Sanders campaign offered to raise salaries to that level, the union rejected the offer. Why? Because, The Post reports, ‘the raise would have elevated field staff to a pay level responsible for paying more of their own health-care costs.’

“It turns out that Sanders pays only 85 per cent of health-care premiums for campaign staff making more than $36,000 — despite campaigning on a promise of free health care for all with ‘no premiums, no deductibles, no co-payments, no out-of-pocket expenses.’”

During his campaign – both of them, the last time around and this one — Sanders has promised to cover the cost of prescription drugs and make sure “no one in America pays over $200 a year for the medicine they need.” He has promised to pay for “universal childcare and pre-kindergarten.” He has promised free college, because “you are not truly free when the vast majority of good-paying jobs require a degree that requires taking out tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt to obtain.”

He has promised to “free generations of Americans from the outrageous burden of student loans by canceling all existing student debt.”

Is Sanders setting an example by providing all these benefits to workers on his campaign?

Of course, the answer is no.”

Because, if he did, his campaign would quickly run out of cash.

There’s the rub.

Soon-to-be former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously put it this way: “The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”

Unfortunately, Sanders is practicing two kinds of duplicity as he hopes Americans will vote for him as president. The first is that he cannot even run his campaign according to the socialist values he says he espouses.

Worse, he wants to expose the rest of us to his goofy proposals, which no one in their right mind can afford.